"We've got it wrong": Longmuir calls out advantageous Opening Round

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has called for equilibrium across the AFL, demanding change to the advantageous Opening Round set-up.

Facing the Cats in their first contest of the season, the Dockers mounted an early 35-point advantage, in control in the opening stages before being clawed back, falling behind late to lose by 10 points.

While the fixture was certainly not an easy one - The last time Fremantle travelled to Geelong, the hosts claimed a 78-point victory in Round 1 of 2025 - Longmuir has suggested that the Cats' Opening Round hit out was a certain advantage in favour of the winning team.

Speaking post-match, Longmuir stated that the AFL "got it wrong" with their Opening Round initiative, calling for a change to the season's opening schedule.

“I think anyone who has been around football would realise this is an advantage,” Longmuir said.

“We should all start the season the same way. There should be no competitive advantage in teams having played a game before they play another team.

“It just makes so much sense to people in the industry. We’ve just got it wrong.”

Opening Round sides have won 75 per cent of their Round 1 contests when facing a side absent from the first week of football (nine wins from 12 games).

Of the three sides that lost against fresh opposition, two also lost their Opening Round clash. Collingwood in 2026 are now the only side to win in Opening Round and follow up with a loss against a side playing their first game in Round 1 (Adelaide).

Docker Jordan Clark echoed this sentiment leading up to his side's contest with Geelong.

“To be honest, I’m not really a fan of the Opening Round,” Clark told SEN WA Breakfast.

“I’m definitely not a fan of teams playing teams that have already played, I don’t think that’s very fair.

“It is what it is, we’ve just got to suck it up and get on with it, but I don’t really understand the point of the Opening Round. “I think we should all just be playing Round 1 or Round 0, whatever it is. Full ball, get into it.

“I think having a competitive hit out against quality opposition certainly holds you in better stead than a team that’s had a week off and hasn’t played footy for six months.”

Geelong, who lost drastically to the Suns in Opening Round, were comfortably the better side in the second half of Round 1, booting eight goals to three to squander Fremantle's sizeable lead.

Following their 0-1 start, the Dockers will head home ahead of a Saturday night Round 2 clash with Melbourne.