Reported 'falling out' between John Longmire and Luke Parker revealed after coach's exit
Reports of a 'falling out' between Luke Parker and John Longmire have emerged after the latter's decision to quit his role as Sydney Swans head coach.
Longmire made the decision, despite having a year to run on his contract.
Parker was traded to the Kangaroos before Longmire's decision was made fall and speculation suggests part of the move could've been due to a breakdown in the relationship between coach and player.
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The 32-year-old's departure came after 293 games for the bloods.
John Longmire and Luke Parker before the 2022 AFL grand final. Getty
9news Melbourne's chief football reporter Tom Morris revealed the circumstances of the falling out after Longmire's decision was made public.
"How big this falling out with Luke Parker is depends on who you speak to," he said on SEN.
"My understanding is Parker left for a number of reasons, and one of those reasons is that him and John Longmire weren't on the terms they had been over the course of his career.
"Clearly, it was a difficult year for Luke Parker; his injuries, his suspension in the VFL, and the fact that he wasn't in the team at the start (of the year). He probably thought he was unlikely to be in the team full-time in 2025 despite being contracted.
"So this falling out with Parker and Longmire may not have been symptomatic of the wider playing group, but it did play a part in Luke Parker looking around and ending up at North Melbourne via a trade.
"Regardless of that, players over the journey loved John Longmire ... he was an amazing leader."
Longmire's affection with his players was clear when he started his press conference joking about Lance 'Buddy' Franklin.
John Longmire jokes during his press conference. Nine
Franklin's retirement last year came without the player himself fronting the media, instead it was Longmire. The outgoing coach made light of that situation.
"I called Bud last night and asked Bud to come down and do this press conference so I could get on a plane and go to the Gold Coast," he smiled.
"He actually thought I was serious."
