Longmire responds to GF audio ‘speculation’; coach calls for drastic AFL overhaul: Best of 360

John Longmire has responded to a report he didn’t return audio from last year’s grand final disaster.

Plus a current coach has called for the AFL to bring in a wildcard round and conferences.

Read on for the best of Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Wednesday night.

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LONGMIRE CONFIRMS HE DIDN’T RETURN AUDIO OF GF DISASTER

Former Swans coach John Longmire has confirmed he didn’t return the SD card to the AFL after being mic’d up during last year’s disastrous grand final loss to Brisbane.

It’s a day for Sydney fans to forget as the Swans were blown off the MCG by 60 points in Longmire’s fourth grand final loss and last game as coach of the club.

Seven’s Mitch Cleary reported this week the audio recording device from a microphone Longmire wore on the day wasn’t returned to AFL officials.

The league has used the recordings as part of an AFL Media series that show highlights from both coaches on grand final day.

But Longmire explained he thought it was his right to do what he wanted with the audio.

“I thought I’d given up coaching and would be safe from all that speculation. I suddenly realise someone has thrown up something I thought was no big deal, but apparently a bit of an issue this week,” Longmire began.

“It’s strange. When you’re coaching and you’ve been in grand finals, your natural assumption is you own the IP.”

Sydney Swans captain Callum Mills and coach John Longmire leave the field after losing to the Brisbane Lions in the 2024 AFL Grand Final at the MCG on September 29, 2024. Photo by Phil Hillyard (Image Supplied for Editorial Use only - **NO ON SALES** - ©Phil Hillyard ) Source: News Corp Australia

Longmire said not only was he not able to find technology to play back the audio, he also simply didn’t want to listen to it after a fourth brutal loss on the biggest stage.

“I’ve listened to all the grand finals I’ve been in, some have been pretty tough listening, as you can imagine. I intended to do the same with this one,” the 2012 premiership coach added.

“But I did two things. One, I didn’t have a card reader, I had no idea with the technology. But two, after (the game), I just didn’t want to re-live it again.

“I’d done it before, I’d listened and tried to learn something out of those games before.

“I just didn’t want to do it again. Simple as that ... my assumption was it was my IP. I don’t think I got paid for it.

“I think over the finals series now you get paid as coaches.”

Eagles premiership boss Adam Simpson explained that he had no say on being mic’d up in both grand finals he coached in.

“It wasn’t a negotiation, in 2015 and 2018, it was: ‘Here’s the microphone, put it on’,” he said.

“But we had right of veto. In 2015 it was my second year and I didn’t know it was the way it was done.

“I think ‘Horse’ (Longmire) was the one who actually brought in a bit of ownership of it and getting rewarded financially.”

Simpson said he kept the microphone on during the entire day in both deciders.

“They’ve recorded the (coaches) box for a while (on grand final day). Literally the second you walk in to the MCG, you put it on, probably an hour and a half before the game,” Simpson added.

“Everywhere — with toilet breaks, in the box, up the stairs.

“Other than ‘Horse’s one he’s decided not to hand in, there’s hours of audio probably kept somewhere. That’s the danger, I suppose — or the positive — that in 15 or 20 years something comes from a game that’s been kept in the vault.”

GOODWIN PRO AFL WILDCARD ROUND, CONFERENCES

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin believes the AFL to follow the format of major US sports and introduce conferences and wildcard rounds.

The league has confirmed it would explore the concept of a wildcard round, which is effectively a play-in to determine the final finals spots.

And Goodwin was “in favour” of a wildcard round and fresh ideas that’d create more excitement and celebrate more success, like the idea of having a conference champion.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 24: Christian Petracca, Simon Goodwin and Jake Lever of the Demons during the 2025 AFL Round 07 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Richmond Tigers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 24, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

“I’ve had these discussions for three of four years internally and people at the AFL,” the Dees premiership coach said on AFL 360.

“I’m a big fan, I like American sports. I’d like to us in conferences, with three conferences of six teams and top two go through and you have a wildcard round.

“We need to create more success in our industry.

“At the moment we see one team who’s the pinnacle and everyone else fails. We can create more success in our industry, give more opportunity and bring more variety to our game.

“I think it’s great for supporters and everyone involved in the industry.”

Goodwin said anything that maintains interest in the AFL season for longer would only be healthy for the game.

“I think we want our competition to thrive for as long as possible through the season,” he added.

“You see a bit of divide in the ladder now, we need to create greater interest and more eyes on our game for longer within the season.

“Building rivalry and building more success and building a tighter competition will do that for us.”

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