Fremantle Coach Reacts to Viral Umpire ‘Mugshot’ Photos That Took the Internet by Storm

Fremantle’s head coach, Justin Longmuir, has addressed the recent uproar regarding umpire headshots that were seen in the changerooms last week, expressing his confusion over the public’s reaction.

During their victory against North Melbourne, the Dockers had images of the four field umpires prominently displayed in the changerooms, much to the notice of both broadcasters and the national media.

Fox Footy’s Jack Riewoldt found the images amusing, dubbing them “mugshots,” while others speculated they may have been displayed to gain an advantage with the officials.

Longmuir characterised the media focus on the photos as “making a mountain out of a molehill,” explaining that this has been a common practice throughout his tenure with the club.

“It wasn’t a deliberate tactic; someone just opted to display them in a different location,” Longmuir stated following his team’s win against Essendon on Thursday night.

“It’s remarkable that it gained such attention last week and became a talking point.

“We’ve been doing this for about four years now. There’s nothing underhanded about it.

“We want our players and staff to be aware of who is officiating the game. It’s not about gaining an unfair advantage—either positively or negatively.”

It has been reported that the images were not visible to cameras before the Essendon match, possibly hidden due to the recent controversy.

Nonetheless, they have been spotted during Fremantle’s games at Optus Stadium earlier this season.

In their recent encounter, Fremantle delivered a commanding performance against a depleted Essendon, securing a 41-point victory.

Key ruckman Luke Jackson was outstanding, registering 48 hit-outs and booting three goals alongside 21 disposals, while midfielder Caleb Serong made an impact with 35 possessions and also scored two goals himself.