Anna Hay’s Good, Bad and Ugly out of AFL’s round seven, including Justin Longmuir’s Fremantle response

Anna Hay takes a look at a big weekend of footy with her Good, Bad and Ugly wrap - including some credit-where-it’s-due praise for Justin Longmuir. GOOD: Justin Longmuir The life of a senior coach is never easy, even at the best of times. Throw in a couple of losses on the bounce, underperforming leaders, some disgruntled fans and the top job can quickly become a whole lot harder. AFL coaches are the first to cop the criticism and blame for heavy defeats. Before the season even started, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was under immense pressure to lead his side to the ultimate success. The pressure gauge was cranked up a few notches following the Dockers’ loss to the Demons last week and Longmuir would’ve been feeling the heat from every angle. But to his credit, Longmuir responded by demanding better from his playing group — and it worked. His outward emotion last week was a small insight into what he believes this playing group is capable of. He won’t settle for mediocre, and by raising his expectations, his players lifted. Longmuir asked for pressure and toughness and his side delivered on both fronts. They played with fight, intent, and passion. Post-match, he was spotted with a big smile on his face, as he gave his players hugs and a well-deserving pat on the back. I can guarantee he’ll be sleeping a little easier... for now. BAD: Dockers’ 1% Club It’s clear the Dockers are not the finished product. Just when you breathe a sigh of relief and think they’re home, Freo leave the front door open for their opposition to make a sneaky comeback. It cost Fremantle back in round two, when they were up by as much as 22 points against the Swans and went on to lose to by three points. It almost happened again against the Crows, when Adelaide booted four-straight in the fourth term to mount a mini charge. Luckily, it was too little too late for the Crows, but there’ll be times when the Dockers aren’t so lucky. For Freo, it’s about nailing the one-percenters, because they all add up. Footy is a game of inches and there’s such a fine line between a win and a loss. Fremantle will now need to back-up their solid effort against the Crows and attempt to string a full four-quarter performance together. Next up they face St Kilda, Collingwood, GWS, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast. UGLY: Sydney Swans The biggest footy story of the week was superstar Chad Warner re-signing with the Swans for another two years. On the field, however, Sydney wouldn’t be overly pleased with the narrative they are creating. Their season is now nearing the point of no-return — with no chance of a happily-ever-after. They’ve won just two of their first seven games of the season and one of those was against Fremantle in round two, when they just sneaked home to win by three points. Not exactly convincing. They’ve lost to Hawthorn, Brisbane, Collingwood, and Port Adelaide. On Sunday, the Swans were completely scorched by the red-hot Suns, going down by 38-points after Gold Coast kicked 12 unanswered goals. It’s important to note they are missing Errol Gulden, Callum Mills, Tom Papley and Taylor Adams with injury. But it’s safe to say their season is sinking.