Fremantle head coach Justin Longmuir is preparing to tackle Carlton without two of his senior lieutenants as COVID protocols strike again.
Assistant coaches Matthew Boyd (backline) and Josh Carr (forward) have been forced into the AFL’s health and safety protocols and will watch on from home as the Dockers tackle the Blues on Saturday night.
So far, the players have escaped unscathed, with small forward Lachie Schultz deemed a “good chance” of reclaiming his spot in the side after returning to the club from COVID protocols on Tuesday.
“We’ll miss them this week,” Longmuir told 7News.
“That’s going to ask a bit of some of the development coaches to step up and fill the void.”
Longmuir also leapt to the defence of forward Michael Walters.
After a quiet start to the season, Walters has tallied 17, 20 and 15 touches in his past three outings but only has one goal to show for it.
The veteran appeared to lack confidence in front of goals in Fremantle’s 48-point win over Essendon on Sunday, prompting some intervention from Longmuir at training.
Longmuir was spotted deep in conversation with the 31-year-old on Tuesday, gesturing a kicking action as Walters looks to improve on his 2.6 start to the season.
“I think he’s in really good form,” Longmuir said.
“I think he’s improved his footy. I think his pressure has been elite. His contest has been very good. He’s been finding the footy.
“As I said to him today, the finishing will come if he keeps putting the same sort of effort out there.
“It’s unfortunate he hasn’t gotten the reward of finishing his work off, but I’m positive that will come if he keeps putting the effort into his game like he has.”
Longmuir also quashed any talk captain Nat Fyfe could miss the rest of the season as he continues to recover from back surgery.
No timeline has been put on the two-time Brownlow medallist’s return, but Fyfe continues to recondition away from his teammates.
“I expect to have him out there in the mid-term,” Longmuir said.
“He seems to be taking good steps forward now. He feels comfortable with his body. We’re still unsure of a timeline, but he’s definitely moving in the right direction.”
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