FREMANTLE president Chris Sutherland has paid tribute to coach Justin Longmuir for his calm approach in the face of external pressure and his ability to turn a qualifying final loss into the club's second Grand Final berth. 

Longmuir has orchestrated the best season in Dockers' history but came under significant scrutiny through the missed finals years of 2023-24 and again after a qualifying final loss to Hawthorn at the start of this September.

Sutherland, who has been a Dockers board member since 2021 and president for the past three seasons, said the coach had stood firm through challenges and kept the club focused on its ultimate goal.  

The 45-year-old now has the opportunity to become the club's first ever premiership coach after the Dockers won an away preliminary final for the first time in their history. 

"He's an exceptional man. I think he's done a tremendous job, particularly in the last month-and-a-half," Sutherland said from the Fremantle rooms on Friday night.  

"There's all this noise about, 'Are things not working out quite right?' He's had calmness, but he's also ensured that the focus of the players, and in fact the whole club actually, is where it should be."

Longmuir was appointed ahead of the 2020 season and led Fremantle to a breakthrough finals campaign in 2022, leading to high expectations being placed on a young team. 

With a bold five-year strategic plan to win a premiership by 2025, the Dockers missed finals in 2023 and 2024 and failed to meet its objectives when it lost a heartbreaking home elimination final to Gold Coast last year. 

The club this year removed the pressure of a firm timeline for its first premiership, but Sutherland did not believe that new approach had been crucial to reaching a Grand Final. 

"I don't look at it like that. I think there's always pressure and pressure to perform," he said. 

"But we've always made every decision so that we're in a position to contend for a reasonable period of time. 

"We've put ourselves in the position this year. We're going to give it our best shot next week. But we're looking to contend for the next few years."

Sutherland said those missed finals years following the breakthrough 2022 campaign would be looked back on as an important step for Longmuir's team, delivering crucial lessons. 

The team had used its disappointment each year to grow and become a team and club that is willing to take risks in pursuit of success. 

"Just missing out on finals in 2023-2024, that hurt and then obviously losing our first final (against Hawthorn this year). You learn from those experiences," Sutherland said. 

"At the same time, I think we've always said in the off-season, 'What do we need to improve?' 

"We're always willing to take a risk, and that's across health, fitness, and across every part of the club."

The president encouraged fans to enjoy Grand Final week, knowing that the team would have its focus firmly on what it needs to do to perform on the biggest stage. 

Asked how well prepared he believed the players were for the opportunity ahead, Sutherland said the group was as ready as whoever their opponent ends up being after playing every week through September. 

"Having got there through a slightly harder route, I don't mind not having had a bye in the last couple of weeks. In fact, I think it probably helped us."