“We’ve Got a Strategy”: Justin Longmuir Unveils Dockers’ Game Plan for Nick Daicos’ Comeback

Justin Longmuir is gearing up his Fremantle players to minimise the influence of Nick Daicos when he returns from injury for Collingwood in their encounter on Friday night.

Daicos was a last-minute withdrawal during Collingwood’s 54-point defeat to the Lions last week, hampered by a corked calf despite being heavily bandaged.

The 23-year-old appeared to struggle with mobility in the lead-up to that game but has been spotted training with the team since. Collingwood has yet to announce whether he will be fit to play on Friday.

On Tuesday, the Pies confirmed that Daicos must successfully complete Wednesday’s training session before a decision is made regarding his availability for the clash against the Dockers.

In their previous encounter, although the Dockers emerged victorious, Daicos managed to collect 43 disposals.

Longmuir’s side is determined to ensure that doesn’t happen again should Daicos make his return.

“We have strategies in place for him,” said the Dockers coach.

“You probably can’t prevent him from getting the ball, but it is possible to limit his efficiency.”

Fremantle is also anticipating the return of veteran Scott Pendlebury to the Collingwood line-up, as he has resumed training after dealing with some tightness in his Achilles.

Pendlebury’s availability will also depend on Wednesday’s training session.

“Those are key players for them, so we’ll prepare for their best and plan around their top performers,” Longmuir noted.

“If they don’t perform, we will simply adapt our approach.”

Longmuir believes that his players can draw confidence from their previous encounters with Collingwood as well as their strong start to the season.

However, he acknowledged that both of last season’s matches against the Pies had their own peculiarities.

“We had nearly a 30 inside 50 advantage and still lost the first game, while the reverse occurred at the MCG, which Daicos featured in,” he reflected.

“Conversely, we don’t want to focus too much on a single player since they have numerous threats across the field. We must respect all of their players while still aiming to execute our game plan. It’s definitely a balancing act.”