If John Longmire had made a phone call to every new coach in the AFL during his 13 years as Sydney Swans coach, he’d be making call #68 this week.
The same numbers would apply for Geelong counterpart Chris Scott, who, like Longmire, began his AFL coaching journey in Round 1, 2011 and has not missed a game.
Extraordinarily, of the 68 coaches in the League since 2011 only Scott has not warranted one of the fictitious Longmore phone calls after what might have been (if he’d made it) a “congratulations – good luck” call prior to Round 1, 2011, when Scott replaced Mark Thompson in charge of the Cats and Longmire took over from Paul Roos with the Swans.
Every other coach during the Longmire/Scott rein has either quit, been sacked or retired – and it’s easiest to put them in one group because the boundaries are often blurred. Or they are in their first coaching job awaiting the inevitable.
It is a statistic that underlines in extra bold the extraordinary Longmire resilience and longevity ahead of a massive double milestone on Thursday night, when he will coach the Swans for the 300th time and join the AFL 500 Club.
Already far and away the Swans longest-serving coach, he will be the 25th person in AFL history to coach 300 games, and the 23rd to play and coach a combined 500 games.
He’ll be just the ninth person to coach 300 games at one club – and only the sixth whose 300-game one-club stint does not include time as a playing coach.
It’s a journey that puts the figures that represent every facet of the Longmire career right up with the crazy big numbers in the all-time AFL record books.
Having taken the Swans to the finals in 13 of 15 completed seasons, his finals appearance ratio of 83.3% ranks 3rd among the 300-game coaches behind only Scott, who is 11 of 12 at 91.7% after posting his triple century in Round 15, and Essendon triple Brownlow Medallist and 415-game coach from 1939-1960 Dick Reynolds, who went 13 of 15 at 86.7% in his first 300 games.
With a 183-3-113 win-draw-loss record and an overall winning percentage of 61.71% Longmire ranks 8th among 300-game coaches and equal 12th among 87 100-game coaches. And with 24 finals behind him Longmire ranks 12th on the ‘most finals coached’ list.
His 183 wins also means Longmire has coached more Swans wins than anyone else has coached Swans games – except Paul Roos. The 2005 premiership coach was 116-2-84 from 202 games to sit second on the Swans coaching games list ahead of 1996 grand final coach Rodney Eade (81-2-69 from 152 games), 1970s coach Ian Stewart (49-1-61 from 111 games) and 1920s coach Charlie Pannam (54-0-54 from 108 games).
It’s a career that has seen Longmire coach against 50 different AFL coaches at 17 different venues across every state and territory in Australia – except the Northern Territory – plus Wellington, New Zealand.
With 121 games at the SCG, plus 22 games at the Sydney Olympic Stadium and six games at the Sydney Showgrounds, Saturday’s 300th game against the Western Bulldogs at the SCG will be his 150th in his adopted home state of NSW.
The MCG, where he has coached 38 times, is second on his ‘most coached at’ venues list from Marvel Stadium (36), the Olympic Stadium, (22), Carrara (12), Adelaide Oval (11), Gabba (11), Subiaco (10), Kardinia Park (10), Perth Stadium (7), Sydney Showgrounds (6), Football Park (5), Hobart’s Bellerive Oval (3), Launceston’s York Park (3), Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns (2), Manuka Oval in Canberra (1) and Wellington Stadium in New Zealand (1).
He has a 79-2-40 (66.4%) record at the SCG and is 13-9 (59.1%) at the Olympic Stadium, but just as impressively he has a 50% record or better at every ground except two. And he’s one win short at both of them, having gone 18-1-19 (48.6%) at the MCG and 4-5 (80.0%) at the Gabba.
Headed by a most impressive 69.4% strike-rate at Marvel Stadium (25-11), his record at other grounds is: Adelaide Oval (6-5), Bellerive (3-0), Cairns (1-1), Canberra (1-0), Carrara (8-4), Football Park (3-2), Kardinia Park (5-5), Launceston (2-1), Subiaco (5-5-), Sydney Showgrounds (3-3) and Wellington (1-0).
And against coaches he has matched with 10 times or more, only Scott and Alastair Clarkson have a better head-to-head win/loss ratio. Longmire is 10-1-12 against Scott and 8-14 against his long-time close friend Clarkson.
Ironically, the now 52-year-old Longmire, whose grandfather Keith Williams played for Fitzroy, uncle Robert Longmire played for Collingwood, and great grandfather Walter Longmire played for NSW against SA at the MCG in 1927, has had most success overall against his former club North.
He’s 15-3 against North as a coach after going 10-3 for North against Sydney as a player, and also boasts a positive record against St Kilda (15-4), West Coast (11-3), Melbourne (11-1-3), Gold Coast (11-4), Essendon (13-5), Brisbane (10-4), Carlton (12-6), Adelaide (9-5), GWS (15-10) and the Bulldogs (10-7).
He has an even split against Fremantle (8-1-8) and Collingwood (8-8), and is only on the wrong side of the ledger against Richmond (8-9), Port Adelaide (7-8), Geelong (10-1-12) and Hawthorn (10-14).
Astonishingly, in the cut-throat world that is the AFL, Longmire’s senior coaching career is one week longer than that of the Gold Coast Suns’ existence, and one year longer than that of the GWS Giants.
The double-milestone on Thursday night will be vindication for the coach and the club on his preparation for the job between when he finished his 200-game career with North Melbourne with a premiership in his last game in 1999 and his debut in the coaches box against Melbourne’s Dean Bailey in Round 1, 2011, when he opened his career with a draw.
His 11-year break between senior player and senior coach is the equal third-longest among the 300-game coaches. Only Denis Pagan, a premiership coach at North Melbourne before a stint at Carlton, was 16 years in the waiting, and John Northey, who began his four-club career at Sydney in 1985, was 14 years.
By chance, Ross Lyon, who also was 11 years between playing and coaching, spent the last three years of his transition sitting alongside Longmire in the support crew to Roos at the Swans.
It would be one of the great challenges to Swans fans to name Longmire’s first side. Take some time to have a crack, or read on. In notional positions under co-captains Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh it was:
FB: Nick Smith, Heath Grundy, Marty Mattner
HB: Jarrad McVeigh, Ted Richards, Rhyce Shaw
C: Lewis Jetta, Jude Bolton, Andrejs Everitt,
HF: Kieren Jack, Sam Reid, Ryan O’Keefe
F: Ben McGlynn, Adam Goodes, Gary Rohan
R: Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery
INT: Paul Bevan, Mark Seaby, Jesse White, Byron Sumner.
The first team represents 22 of the 110 players who have played under Longmire, or 7.60% of the Swans’ 1448 players all-time, while he has coached 299 of 2533 games (11.8%).
Of the current Swans players, only Sam Reid has been at the club longer than his coach. He debuted in the last home-and-away game of 2010 before they played two finals. It was Roos’ 200th game in charge and his third-last game.
Off-season recruit Andrejs Everitt was the first of just 19 imports to play for the club under Longmire. The other imports in order have been Matt Spangher, Tony Armstrong, Mitch Morton, Kurt Tippett, Lance Franklin, Jeremy Laidler, Michael Talia, Tom Derickx, Ryan Clarke, Jackson Thurlow, Daniel Menzel, Kaiden Brand, Sam Gray, Lewis Taylor, Tom Hickey, Paddy McCartin, Peter Ladhams and Aaron Francis.
Luke Parker, who has played his entire career under Longmire after debuting in his eighth game, heads 22 100-gamers on the Longmire list at 275. Then follows Josh Kennedy (253), Dane Rampe (216), Heath Grundy (186), Kieren Jack (185), Nick Smith (182), Sam Reid (180), Dan Hannebery (180), Jarrad McVeigh (178), Harry Cunningham (177), Franklin (169), Isaac Heeney (169), Tom Papley (157), Callum Mills (147), Ollie Florent (134), Will Hayward (129), Ted Richards (128), George Hewett (120), Ben McGlynn (113), Lewis Jetta (107) and Tom McCartin (102).
Nick Blakey (94), James Rowbottom (85) and Robbie Fox (79) are closing in on 100 Longmire games.
Six Swans have played just one game under Longmire – import Talia, first-team member Sumner, Tim Membrey, now at St Kilda, Jack Hiscox, Darcy Cameron, now at Collingwood, and recent mid-season draftee Jack Buller.
No less than 63 Swans players have made their AFL debut under Longmire. Harry Cunningham, plucked from the rookie list to debut in Round 1 of first season in 2012, is the youngest Longmire debutant at 18 years 109 days. Tom McCartin and Angus Sheldrick, both 18 years 132 days in their first game, are equal second from Will Hayward (18/156) and Parker (18/201).
The oldest Longmire debutant was Irishman Tommy Walsh at 24 years 83 days in 2012. Nic Newman, who played his 100th AFL game at Carlton last weekend, was second-oldest at 24/75 from Dean Towers (24/69) and Robbie Fox (23/349).
Longmire will take vastly different memories of his 100th and 200th games as coach into his 300th.
In his 100th against Essendon at the Olympic Stadium in Round 1, 2015 the Swans pulled off one of the great wins, kicking 7.4 to 0.0 in the final quarter to almost treble their score after trailing by 34 points at the last change. It was miserable 3.8 to 9.6 at three-quarter time before the home side won 10.12 (72) to 9.6 (60).
Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett kicked two goals apiece in the final quarter before first-gamer Isaac Heeney kicked the sealer 35 minutes into a final quarter that went 39 mins. Kieren Jack (29 possessions, one goal, two votes) and Tippett (10 possessions, two goals, 22 hit-outs, one vote) caught the umpires’ eye, but not as prominently as one of the more unlikely three-voters in recent times. Top votes went to Essendon’s Ben Howlett, who had 19 possessions and 12 tackles after starting as the substitute. He replaced David Myers early.
In Longmire 200th Justin McInerney debuted In Round 4, 2019 against Melbourne at the SCG, but didn’t have the same dream start as Heeney. The Swans led by 14 points at quarter time and six points at halftime but kicked only three goals in the second half to lose by 22 points. Ollie Florent had 25 possessions and kicked two goals in his 34th game for one vote behind Clayton Oliver (33 possessions, three votes) and Max Gawn (19 possessions, 55 hit-outs, two votes).
Longest Winning Streaks: He won 12 games in a row from Round 5-17 in 2014, and 16 from 17 when, after a 10-point loss to Hawthorn, Sydney won the next four. He also won nine games on the trot from Round 10-19 in 2012, and in 2017 won seven straight from Rounds 12-18 and then 12 from 13 after a six-point loss to Hawthorn. Longmire’s worst losing streak was seven games from the 2016 grand final through to Round 6 in 2017, when the Swans defied the odds and went on to play finals.
Highest Score: It will surprise nobody this came in the recent Round 15 game against West Coast when the Swans kicked 31.19 (205). It was one of seven scores of 140-plus.
Biggest Win: Similarly, the biggest Longmire win was 171 points in the same game. He’s had six 100-point wins, six other wins by 90+ and a total of 41 wins by 10 goals or more.
Lowest Score: Was 2.7 (19) in what could also be tagged ‘the most bizarre Longmire game’ against GWS in Perth in Round 13, 2020.
Biggest Loss: As if to underline what up and down 2023 season the Swans have had, this came in Round 6 at Geelong when they were beaten by 93 points. In stark contrast to his 10-goal wins, this is one of only four losses by 10 goals in 299 games.
The Longmire Percentage: The Swans aggregate percentage in Longmire’s 299 games is 119.73%. They’ve scored on average 89 points while conceding on average 74 points. The Swans have topped 100 points 99 times in the Longmire rein and conceded 100 points just 39 times. And six of the 39 were an even 100.
AND FOR THE TRIVIA BUFFS ..
Who were the other AFL coaches in Longmire’s first season in 2011?
James Hird, who replaced Matthews Knights at Essendon, was the third newcomer with Longmire and Scott, while the 13 who carried on from 2010 were Neil Craig (Adel), Michael Voss (Bris), Brett Ratten (Carl), Mick Malthouse (Coll), Mark Harvey (Frem), Guy McKenna (GC), Alastair Clarkson (Haw), Dean Bailey (Melb), Brad Scott (North), Matthew Primus (Port), Damien Hardwick (Rich), Ross Lyon (StK), Rodney Eade (WB) and John Worsfold (WC).
While only Longmire and Chris Scott have filled the same seat since then, there are six ‘survivors’. Ross Lyon is back at St Kilda this year after a stint at Fremantle, Voss (Carlton), Brad Scott (Essendon) and Alastair Clarkson (North) have new appointments, and Brett Ratten (North caretaker coach while Clarkson was on leave) finds himself a caretaker coach at his second club in this period after filling a similar role at St Kilda.
And all the coaches in the AFL during the Longmire era? Club by club they have been:
Adel: Neil Craig, Mark Bickley, Brenton Sanderson, Phil Walsh, Scott Camporeale, Don Pyke, Matthew Nicks, Scott Burns. Bris: Michael Voss, Mark Harvey, Justin Leppitsch, Chris Fagan. Carl: Brett Ratten, Mick Malthouse, John Barker, Brendan Bolton, David Teague, Michael Voss, Ashley Hansen. Coll: Mick Malthouse, Nathan Buckley, Robert Harvey, Craig McRae. Ess: Matthew Knights, James Hird, Simon Goodwin, Mark Thompson, Matthew Egan, John Worsfold, Ben Rutten, Blake Caracella, Brad Scott. Frem: Mark Harvey, Ross Lyon, David Hale, Justin Longmuir, Jaymie Graham. Geelong: Chris Scott. GC: Guy McKenna,, Rodney Eade, Dean Solomon, Stuart Dew, Steven King. GWS: Kevin Sheedy, Leon Cameron, Mark McVeigh, Adam Kingsley. Haw: Alastair Clarkson, Brendan Bolton, Sam Mitchell. Melb: Dean Bailey, Todd Viney, Mark Neeld, Neil Craig, Paul Roos, Simon Goodwin, Adem Yze. NM: Brad Scott, Rhyce Shaw, David Noble, Leigh Adams, Alastair Clarkson, Brett Ratten. Port: Matthew Primus, Garry Hocking, Ken Hinkley, Alan Richardson, Nathan Bassett. Rich: Damien Hardwick, Andrew McQualter. StK: Ross Lyon, Scott Watters, Alan Richardson, Brett Ratten, Brendon Lade, Ross Lyon. Syd: John Longmire. WB: Rodney Eade, Paul Williams, Brendan McCartney, Luke Beveridge. WC: John Worsfold, Adam Simpson, Jaymie Graham, Matthew Knights.
For extra points, who are the five Sydney/South Melbourne coaches who are among the AFL’s 24 300-game coaches? Tom Hafey, Swans coach in 1986-88, is fifth, while Ron Barassi, Swans coach in 1993-95, is seventh. AFL Team of the Century coach Norm Smith, who was in charge at South from 1969-72, is ninth, and Rodney Eade, Swans coach from 1996-2002, is 16th. And 21st is 1985 Swans coach John Northey. The full list is:
718 - Mick Malthouse (WB-WC-Coll-Carl)
713 – Jock McHale (Coll)
678 – Kevin Sheedy (Ess-GWS)
576 – Allan Jeans (StK-Haw-Rich)
522 – Tom Hafey (Rich-Coll-Geel-Syd)
518 – David Parkin (Haw-Carl-Fitz)
515 – Ron Barassi (Melb-Carl-NM-Syd)
461 – Leigh Matthews (Coll-Bris)
452 – Norm Smith (Fitz-Melb-SM)
415 – Dick Reynolds (Ess)
414 – Perc Bentley (Rich-Carl)
412 – John Kennedy Snr (Haw-NM)
399 – Alastair Clarkson (Haw-NM)
388 – John Worsfold (WC-Ess)
378 – Frank Hughes (Rich-Melb)
377 – Rodney Eade (Syd-WB-GC)
359 – Dan Minogue (Rich-Haw-Carl-StK-Fitz)
347 – Robert Walls (Fitz-Carl-Bris-Rich)
344 – Denis Pagan (NM-Carl)
321 – Ross Lyon (StK-Frem)
315 – John Northey (Syd-Melb-Rich-Bris)
307 – Damien Hardwick (Rich)
304 – Reg Hickey (Geel)
302 – Chris Scott (Geel)
