Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir lauds sacrificial roles and hints at early return for Alex Pearce

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has heaped praise on his side for embracing sacrifice against the league-leading Swans in their memorable upset victory in Sydney.

It comes as the Dockers coach hinted star defender and captain Alex Pearce could return earlier than expected from a broken forearm.

Fremantle unveiled a new look for their midfield during Saturday’s win, sending dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe to blanket Swans gun Isaac Heeney while asking winger Jeremy Sharp to go toe-to-toe with Errol Gulden.

The run-with roles proved a masterstroke as the Dockers jumped into the lead with blistering second and third terms before clinging to a one-point win.

“I thought it was a really selfless role-driven game from all our players,” Longmuir told 7NEWS.

“Everyone had an impact on the result.

“Fyfey did a great job on Heeney when he was off; I thought Johnno really equipped himself well in that role and was really diligent.

“Sharpy did a good job on Gulden’s wing. Gulden’s got an elite running capacity and plays high game time so Sharpy was the match-up on that wing.

“Given the way we’d played for four quarters, we deserved to win.”

The victory, which moved them into third on the table, came with skipper Pearce at home in Perth after the key defender fractured his arm in an awkward fall in the win over Gold Coast.

Despite being given a three-to-four-week diagnosis on the injury, Longmuir hinted Pearce is ahead of schedule after getting his cast removed this week.

“Definitely a good sign,” he said.

“We always said it was going to be three to four weeks, and clearly, he’s aiming to get back at the lower end of that, and the cast off is a good sign.

“I think he was a little bit nervous watching on the couch over the weekend. I think he’d rather be out there.”

The Dockers, who are also likely to be boosted by the return of defender Brennan Cox after the 25-year-old survived returning from a hamstring injury through the WAFL, now face Richmond at Optus Stadium on Saturday night with the opportunity to consolidate their place in the top four.

However, a loss to the lowly Tigers in Longmuir’s 100th match as coach could send them plummeting out of the top eight.