‘Simply too soon’: Flag-winner pulls out of coach running as Dees ‘hot favourite’ emerges

Sydney premiership coach John Longmire is said to have ruled himself out of contention for any coaching vacancy next year as former Collingwood mentor Nathan Buckley reportedly emerges as the “hot favourite” for Melbourne’s top role.

Longmire, who coached the Swans from 2011 to 2024 including leading the club to the ultimate glory in 2012, was considered the top candidate for the Demons, who last week dismissed 2021 flag coach Simon Goodwin.

But respected Fox Footy commentator Gerard Whateley confirmed on SEN’s Crunch Time that Longmire wouldn’t put his hand up for any coaching position in 2026.

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“John Longmire will not make a return to coaching in 2026. The Sydney premiership coach has decided it is simply too soon to contemplate a return to the coaching ranks, having been out of the job basically for only eight months,” Whateley told the program on Saturday morning.

“Subsequent to his segment on AFL 360 on Wednesday night, Longmire embarked on a little introspection, knowing that he would be the subject of this question until he reached an answer in his own mind, and understanding that there would likely be an inquiry at some point from Melbourne, he wanted to have made a decision in his own mind rather than stringing anyone along — and that decision is not to coach, for the time being.

“He spoke on AFL 360 of the family time that he’s enjoying out of the cauldron of coaching, and I wouldn’t underestimate how much he’s enjoying the corporate work; how stimulating he’s finding the executive role in Sydney.

“So, on the coaching landscape, you can rule John Longmire out; he won’t be coaching in 2026.”

Longmire, who is currently working as an executive director of club performance at Sydney, told Fox Footy on Wednesday he hadn’t thought about the prospect of getting back into coaching.

“I hope you understand I’m not being cagey about this, I just haven’t allowed myself to think about it, because I’ve had other thoughts going on and other things in my life that I’ve tried to be present with,” he said on AFL 360.

“I hope you understand I haven’t had the time to fully formulate what that may or may not look like, and at the moment, I’m loving what I’m doing, and I’m staying present in that. Now, if that changes, well, I need to have a think about it at some point, maybe. But at the moment, it hasn’t changed.”

But while Longmire won’t enter the running for to be the Dees’ next senior coach, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley reportedly has ‘genuine interest’ in the role.

According to Herald Sun journalist and Fox Footy Super Saturday Live panellist Jay Clark, Buckley has ‘held talks’ with a number of his football connections in recent days to get a gauge of what his potential staff of assistants could look like.

Meanwhile, Nine journalist Sam McClure reported that Buckley — at Collingwood between 2012 and 2021 — is ahead in favouritism.

“It would seem, from the noises coming out of the Melbourne board, that Nathan Buckley has quickly emerged as the hot favourite to be coaching Melbourne next year,” he told 3AW radio.

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