The way we decide our sporting champions in Australia is uniquely unforgiving. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had a consistent year on grand final day – at the end of it, you’re either a winner or a loser.

As such, in assessing his time as coach of the Sydney Swans, there’s just no escaping John Longmire’s 1-4 record on the AFL’s biggest stage and, in particular, the dismal defeats in 2022 and 2024. Harsh as it is, and as hard as it is to even reach the pinnacle, Longmire will be remembered by some footy fans as a four-time failure – a guy who could show his team where the promised land is, but couldn’t actually take them there often enough.

John Longmire’s time as Swans coach is over - but the memories live on.Credit: Getty Images

But that’s not how Swans fans will remember his 14-year tenure in the top chair. Not those who have lived through every bump, mark and tackle.

They’ll remember these things instead.

First things first: in just his second season after taking the reins from Paul Roos, Longmire guided the Swans to the ultimate glory in the 2012 grand final. It was the fifth VFL/AFL flag in the club’s 150-year history, and only the second since 1933. And yes, because the foundations for it were partly laid by Roos, some people tend to siphon some of the credit for that grand final win away from Longmire – but that perspective misses a couple of crucial points.

John Longmire and Jarrad McVeigh lift the 2012 premiership trophy.Credit: Getty Images

First, it’s often harder than it looks to........

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