Mark Duffield - Four Thoughts (23.09.2026)

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

Every gameday, you show up for your team. Now, it's your time.

SPEAKER_2 (0:11)

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SPEAKER_1 (0:30)

This football is back, so Hilton called on me, the superstition concierge, to make your fan rituals a reality. Need a room to match your lucky number? We got you. Want to make sure our team doesn't wash your lucky jersey? Ooh, that smells lucky. Hilton's unmatched hospitality can keep up with any superstition. Even a marching band wake up call at 555 in 55 seconds.

We Go Vee! A team that will do whatever it takes on game day. It matters where you stay. Hilton, for the stay.

Mark Duffield (1:00)

Let's get on to Four Thoughts on Sport to get us rolling this morning. First thought is on the AFL Coaches Association decision to award Justin Longmuir its 2026 Coach of the Year award. Chris Fagan, who coaches Brisbane, who the dockers face in the grand final was second, and Sydney's Dean Cox was third. I think we should be wrapped for Longmuir. I'm not sure that I've ever seen a coach do more right and get less credit for it, or get more blame for things that go wrong, whether they are his fault or not.

Fact, the dockers have improved year on year relative to the competition every year that Longmuir has been in charge, with the exception of 2022 into 2023, when they lost four of their best 22, including David Mundy leading goal kicker Rory Lobb, and they were kicking to a 19-year-old Jai Amis and a 20-year-old Josh Tracy.

Second thought is on the selection dilemma facing Justin Longmuir, and we'll be talking to Freemantle Executive General Manager of Footy, Joe Bridey, a little later in the show. So it boils down to Brennan Cox, Oscar McDonald as the second tall defender. It's a massive decision, and now that Cox has been declared ready to go, it is a decision. Everyone knows that Cox is in the dockers' best 23, if he's fit, and if he's had some continuity.

The trouble is, even if he is fit, he hasn't had continuity. This is going to be a gamble either way, with McDonald struggling a bit on Sydney's tall forwards in the preliminary final. It is an anxious wait for both players, I feel, for the both of them. Third thought, on the Brownlow medal. The vote tallies are getting bigger. Patti Cripps 45, Matt Rowell 39, Nick Dacos 47

And question for you, are the guns that much better than the others, or are the umps getting fixated on a few and ignoring great performances from others? And finally, fourth thought, Collingwood has set its sights on Matt Rowell when he comes out of contract next year. So we've got Ben King to the Hawks, Lockie Neal to the Pies, Toby Green to the Cats, Zach Butters to the Less Fashionable Dogs is the exception. Free Agency is feeding the so-called destination clubs at the expense of the rest. Give us all your thoughts and questions. We'd love to hear from you. 04H7 736 736 is our text line. 1312 55 is the Bower and O'Day open line. After the break, we'll be talking grand final with Joe Bridey, the Freemantle Dockers Executive General Manager of Footy. Made in WA for WA. This is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SENWA.