Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir has opened up about the psychological impact of the club's now-famous "wharfie time" phenomenon, suggesting it's giving his team a crucial edge over opposition sides.
Speaking after the Dockers' primetime Thursday night game, Longmuir admitted he doesn't control when the crowd erupts into the deafening display that's captured the AFL's imagination.
"No, no, definitely don't have the button and definitely don't get a say in when it's pushed," Longmuir said. "I'd probably be pushing it halfway through the second quarter when we're not going so well."
The coach praised the initiative from the club, noting both players and leaders have embraced the unique home ground advantage.
"It's a great issue from the club. Our players love it. Our leaders love it," he said.
But it's the effect on visiting teams that Longmuir believes provides the real advantage. While Fremantle's players have experienced wharfie time four or five times over the past three years and remain unfazed by the noise, opposition teams are a different story.
"It must spook the opposition to some degree," Longmuir explained. "Our players have probably seen it four or five times over the last three years and are probably a little bit used to it now and don't get flustered by that noise, especially the home crowd."
"But I would imagine away teams that are seeing it for the first time, it would have some impact on them and maybe makes them a little bit reactive in those moments, which clearly helps us as a team."
Longmuir revealed that during the weekend's match, wharfie time was deployed at the perfect moment when the Dockers were already in control and starting to score, providing an extra push to seal the victory.
