Fremantle are weighing up a late Brennan Cox recall for Saturday’s AFL grand final against Brisbane, with coach Justin Longmuir saying the defender faces a “really tricky situation” after missing the club’s recent matches.
Cox has not played since suffering a calf injury during Fremantle’s final home-and-away game against Carlton on August 22. He was due to return in Sunday’s WAFL grand final for Peel Thunder, but was withdrawn before the match.
Longmuir said the decision on Cox’s availability would be made after Fremantle’s main training session on Wednesday.
“We’ve only got the one training session this week, so we’ll get through that and then make a call on it,” he told Seven.
“He’s in a really tricky situation. I think everyone would understand he’s in our best 23, if he’s fully fit and he’s got continuity, but that hasn’t been the case, so we’ll just have to weigh all that up.”
Fremantle’s decision to withdraw Cox from Peel’s grand final came after Oscar McDonald was hurt in a collision with teammate Mason Cox during the fourth quarter of the Dockers’ preliminary-final win over Sydney.
Longmuir said there had initially been concern about McDonald, but that the defender was now clear to play. The club instead decided Cox’s safest preparation would be a substantial training session on Saturday.
McDonald has filled in for Cox for much of the season and has remained in the side since producing a career-best display in Fremantle’s round 21 victory over the Western Bulldogs, a result which secured the minor premiership. He endured some difficult moments against Sydney, however.
Longmuir also welcomed the decision to appoint former teammate and close friend Shaun McManus as Fremantle’s premiership cup presenter.
“I love it. He embodies a lot of what we’re about as a football club, he was such a strong role player for our club,” Longmuir said. “He’s been around since the start and I think it’s an inspired decision.”
