Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was impressed by Sean Darcy’s WAFL return, but Dockers fans will have to wait a little longer to see their million-dollar man back in the AFL.
Darcy returned to action for Peel this weekend and impressed, edging his battle with West Coast ruck Matt Flynn, finishing with 36 hit outs and a game-high six marks in torrid conditions.
It’s a performance that puts pressure on Mason Cox, who had just five touches in the win over Brisbane, but Longmuir confirmed Darcy will not return until after the bye, as they carefully manage his comeback.
“He’ll have another run at Peel, we’ll look to build his minutes a little bit more,” he told 7News.
“I thought he moved really well and took some really strong contested marks in some pretty ordinary conditions, so it was a really positive sign.
“But we’ve also got to build his match fitness up a little bit more in the WAFL.”
The 27-year-old has not played since round five and has not played more than 17 games in a season since 2022 due to persistent injuries.
It comes as the Dockers look for a record-extending 12-straight win against North Melbourne on Saturday, with Longmuir labelling their win over Brisbane as one of their most impressive of the year.
“It was a long road trip against a team looking to bounce back and I thought we played some of the best footy of the year,” he said
“We got the game played on our terms and there were some really good performances across the board and another good win.”
It has Fremantle sitting top of the ladder as premiership favourites, with plenty of fans turning their eyes towards September and booking flights as costs skyrocket.
Longmuir conceded there is plenty of excitement around the club, but said he and the team remain focused and building each week.
“It’s not really for me to tell our supporters what to do with their money,” he said.
“I’m really excited for them and they’re enjoying the footy they’re seeing from us, but it’s not the space we live in internally.
“We’re trying to do all we can to prepare for North Melbourne this week and improve our footy and hopefully at the end of the year it puts us in a position to compete.”
