Changes to Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir's contract a 'death sentence', says Kane Cornes

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has concerns for the coaching future of Justin Longmuir after Fremantle confirmed his contract will be switched to an ongoing employment agreement from the end of this season

As 9News' chief AFL reporter Tom Morris first revealed, the coach's fresh deal will see him end his fixed-term contract and become a regular employee of the club.

With Longmuir out of contract at the end of this season, Fremantle used the announcement as a show of support for 2026 and beyond.

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But Cornes was not buying the club's reasoning, instead describing the move as a "death sentence" unless the Dockers are successful to start the season.

"This has been spun as a way to give Justin some security, but I don't see it that way at all. I think this is almost a death sentence for him unless something extraordinary happens where he has success and, no worries, he'll feel a bit more secure," he told SEN's Sportsday on Tuesday.

"But if things get off to a poor start and if they underachieve with where their list is at, this is just an easy way for the club to move him on. It's a much easier way than having to extend his contract now by at least two years beyond this one.

"If you aren't confident come the end of this year where you'd have to pay him out for those full two years, if he has that in his contract … now it's just, 'We'll give you a six-month payout and bang you're gone'.

"So, I don't think this is a vote of confidence at all for the Fremantle coach as much as the club's spinning it that way."

The last two coaches to hold a similar type of agreement with a club were David Noble at North Melbourne and Brendon Bolton at Carlton.

Both coaches were axed not long after changing their contracts.

Bolton's contract at Carlton was changed in 2018, not long before he was sacked midway through the season.

Noble re-signed with North Melbourne in 2021 on an ongoing agreement before parting ways with the club during the 2022 season.

"How did that work in terms of giving those two coaches (Bolton and Noble) security? Not well at all," Cornes said.

"It's bizarre, but in the end, it's almost a death sentence for him."

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the Dockers confirmed Longmuir's new status and why they opted to move in a new direction.

"We are strongly invested in what we are building here at Fremantle and have high expectations on what we can achieve," chief executive Simon Garlick said.

"Following a number of discussions with Justin, it was clear that those expectations we set ourselves are what drives our ambitions and standards, not the length of a contract.

"Justin has been building and leading an elite coaching program, and we believe this agreement complements our plans for him to lead us through a period of sustained contention and success.

"The pressure for the club to perform is always there, and leadership accountability will continue to come from regular performance evaluations and reviews."

Longmuir took over at Fremantle for the 2020 season, making the finals on just one occasion since.

The 44-year-old said he is looking forward to continue building towards success as the Dockers eye off their first AFL premiership.

"It's a privilege to lead this talented group," Longmuir said.

"The external expectation for us to perform and deliver success over the coming years is high, as it should be, and the nature of my contract doesn't change that.

"I believe the variation better reflects the mechanisms that should be in place for coaches to ensure we have an adequate layer of protection and security for ourselves and our families, and we get on with the job.

"I'm as driven as ever to see this group succeed, and as a club, we are all ready to embrace the standards that can deliver the period of contention and success that the Freo family deserves."