Why Fremantle Dockers defender Brennan Cox missed out on selection in Grand Final heartbreak

FREMANTLE coach Justin Longmuir says maintaining team continuity was the key reason behind the agonising decision not to select Brennan Cox for Saturday's Grand Final, prompting a "really difficult" conversation with the key defender.

Cox was confirmed as the heartbreak story of the Dockers' first Grand Final since 2013, with the 153-gamer unable to force his way into the team after suffering a calf injury on August 22 in the final game of the home and away season.

The Dockers were weighing up selecting Cox as a third tall defender but opted to stick with Oscar McDonald as the sidekick for captain Alex Pearce in an otherwise versatile backline that contains Luke Ryan and Heath Chapman as options against key forwards.

Longmuir said it had been a difficult decision, but the Dockers had decided to stick with the same backline that has seen them deliver wins against Geelong and Sydney this September.

"It was close, really close. He was right to play some footy last week and we held him out of the WAFL Grand Final and gave him a good session by himself, and he trained really well," Longmuir said on Friday.

"(But) we went with continuity and consistency of the team, and we went with AFL match fitness.

"It was a really difficult conversation. More for him, and there's been others this week where we've had senior players miss out on a moment that they've been striving towards for a long time.

"I understand the disappointment … and nothing I say to them really is going to make them feel better in the moment.

"But they're all really mature and they're great team players who, once they got over the disappointment, will give great energy to the team and help prepare their teammates come 2.30pm Saturday."

Cox took part in Fremantle's captain's run on Friday afternoon as chanting Fremantle fans packed the bottom tier of the MCG and cheered on their team, with the key defender energetic and showing no obvious signs of disappointment.

Captain Alex Pearce, who has played alongside Cox in the backline for the past 10 years, said the emotion of the week had been handled well by the players, and making early selection calls had helped.

The skipper said Cox had been a positive influence this week, flying with the team on Thursday and helping to relax his teammates after travelling with his two young children.

"When he found out we had a bit of a chat and I gave him a hug, but the thing with Brennan is he's got such great character, and one of the first things he said was, 'Don't worry, I'll still give to the group', and that's what he's done," Pearce said.

"One of the great traits of Brennan is his personality and the energy he gives. So having him among the group over these couple of days has been great.

"He's brought his kids over and his young fella Arlo's been with us and mucking around with the players.

"So it's great to have him here, and I know deep down how much he'd be hurting but he's giving to the team and making us better still."

The difference in experience is one of the striking elements of the 2026 Grand Final, with Brisbane playing in its fourth consecutive Grand Final and the Dockers reaching their first since 2013.

Longmuir said the Dockers had tried to bridge the gap in experience this week, with Luke Jackson, Shai Bolton and Mason Cox having won premierships at other clubs, and several coaches having experience in various roles on the biggest stage.

"I understand that they've been here the last three times, and they've got a lot of experience," Longmuir said.

"But what we've tried to do is bridge the gap and give our players an understanding of what the week presents and preparing for that, and then leaning into the normalities of the week as well.

"I think we're ready. This hasn't been a flash in the pan, it hasn't been like we've got on a good streak and landed in the Grand Final.

"We've built over a number of years for this moment. We've played the type if footy that we feel holds up at this time of the year.

"So everything we've done has landed us in this spot and it should hold us in really good stead."

Asked if he had let his mind drift to what a premiership would mean for the club he has served for so long, Longmuir said: "Absolutely. It's hard not to."

In his seventh season as a senior coach and after a 139-game playing career that was cut short by injury, the 45-year-old said he always hoped he would lead the Dockers to this point.

"I've thought about this moment for a number of years. When I first went into coaching, I always had the goal at the back of my mind to lead us to this position," Longmuir said.

"It would fill me with great pride to be able to do that, but win or lose tomorrow it's not the end of the journey.

"As a football club, we want to create something that 'Fages' (Lions coach Chris Fagan) has created where you contend for a number of years. So whether we win tomorrow, it's not a full stop on the journey or what we set out to achieve.

"It's another moment. A big moment, and it's something that would fill us with enormous pride, and our fans will be able to celebrate.

"But it's not the end of the journey. We've got a lot of work ahead of us to be able to create a team and a club that competes year in, year out, like these guys have."

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