Why Longmire has ruled himself out of Demons job

SEN's Gerard Whateley has exclusively revealed that former Sydney coach John Longmire has ruled himself out of the vacant Melbourne coaching position.

Following Simon Goodwin’s sacking on Tuesday, John Longmire emerged as a potential candidate for the position.

The 2012 premiership coach who left his head coach position at the Sydney Swans last year believes that it is too soon for him to re-enter the coaching ranks.

Whateley also believes that Longmire has enjoyed his new role as the executive director of club performance at the club.

“John Longmire will not make a return to coaching in 2026,” Whateley said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“The Sydney premiership coach has decided it is simply too soon to contemplate a return to the coaching ranks, having been out of the job essentially for only eight months.

“Subsequent to his segment on 360 on Wednesday night, Longmire embarked on a little introspection, knowing he would be subject to the question until he reached an answer in his own mind.

“And understanding there would likely be an inquiry at some point from Melbourne, he wanted to have made a decision rather than stringing anyone along.

“And that decision is not to coach for the time being.

“Longmire spoke on 360 of the family time he’s enjoying out of the cauldron coaching, and I wouldn’t underestimate how much he’s enjoying the corporate work, how stimulating he finds the executive role in Sydney.

“So, on the coaching landscape, you can rule John Longmire out. He won’t be coaching in 2026.”

Reacting to the news on air, Gerard Healy felt it was the right decision.

“I didn’t have any great thought that he would be coaching next year,” he noted.

“You probably need a little longer to refresh and fill the battery up again, so I’m not surprised by that.

“I think it’s probably the right decision for John from the outside looking in.

“If he is going to coach again, which I suspect that he will, you need a couple of years out.”

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton also felt the same, believing that Longmire is not showing any desire to coach at the AFL currently. He also feels that another coaching contender looks uninterested in taking up the Demons' job.

“You learn from your history,” Brereton said.

“And if you look back at coaches who’ve gone to second clubs, if you reexamine their journey and their demeanour, you can see at some stage a coach out of a role… You can see the time they’ve got the itch back.

“You can actually detect it in them. John has no itch, and he’s got no itch whatsoever.

“And I might say as well, I don’t think Simmo (Adam Simpson) has any itch for it at this point in time.”

Longmire is the latest coach to rule himself out for the Melbourne job. On Friday, interim coach Troy Chaplin revealed that he, too, would not pursue the position.

“I have spoken to the club, and I won’t be pursuing the role, but I certainly have aspirations to be a senior coach one day,” he said.

“I went and spoke to them (the club) – history says caretaker coaches don’t get that role," Chaplin added.

“But they know I’m an aspiring head coach as well, so they gave me the opportunity to lead the program for the next three weeks.   

Melbourne’s next match is against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday at the MCG.