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Take COVID risks at your peril: Longmuir

3 minute read

Dockers coach Justin Longmuir hopes his team's COVID outbreak will be limited to six players, but he's not sure which of them will be fit to return next week.

JUSTIN LONGMUIR.
JUSTIN LONGMUIR. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has told his players they risk giving up their spot in the side if they put themselves in high-risk situations during WA's COVID-19 peak.

The Dockers improved their record to 7-1 after crushing North Melbourne by 78 points in Perth on Friday night.

Fremantle were missing six players due to COVID health and safety protocols, but cross-town rivals West Coast have been hit even harder this season.

The Eagles have twice been forced to dip into their top-up players this year, and they hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week when photos emerged of players attending a Perth nightclub.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson was fuming about the situation, with the players involved a chance to be punished.

But it's raised questions about how much power a club should wield in the private lives of players.

Longmuir says the Dockers aren't setting hard rules for players to adhere to.

But he has a simple message - be smart or risk losing your spot.

"By going and doing things that put that at risk is their own call really," Longmuir said.

"If you do that and give up your spot in the team, you're no guarantee to come back. They understand that.

"So they make decisions according to that. I don't have ... to tell them too much. That's our stand on it."

Fremantle players have been given several days off to recharge following their 15.12 (102) to 3.6 (24) win over North Melbourne.

The team will regroup on Tuesday ahead of next week's clash with Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

Longmuir said he will continue to segregate the player group to ensure the COVID-19 outbreak doesn't grow.

"As soon as someone gets COVID, we do a background check of who they've been close with and who they hang out with, otherwise it can filter through the club," Longmuir said.

"As far as last week's little outbreak goes, I think we've got on top of that. Not to have a case in the last two or three days is a good sign.

"But we're always trying to make sure we segregate our groups and those who are close to cases, just so we don't get that spread.

"We try to knock it on the head really quickly and get it over and done with and make it a one-week thing. Touch wood, hopefully we've done that."

Rory Lobb, Griffin Logue, Travis Colyer, Blake Acres, Michael Frederick, and Lloyd Meek were all forced into the health and safety protocols this week.

Longmuir will wait for them to be released before deciding who is fit to return against the Suns.

Forward Sam Switkowski will miss after being concussed against North Melbourne.

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