John Longmire has become the 17^th coach in AFL history to post 200 AFL wins, and just the sixth to do so at one club.

Befitting such a special milestone, it was a special win as the Swans conceded the first six goals against Geelong then went on to win by five goals in front of the fourth biggest SCG crowd in history and against the opposition coach with whom Longmire has shared his AFL journey.

Longmire and Cats coach Chris Scott made their AFL coaching debut two days apart in Round 1, 2011, and of 52 different opposition coaches in 14 years Longmire has been opposed most often to Scott.

Sunday’s 1st v 3rd crunch game in front of 44,714 at the SCG was their 24^th meeting, and after the Swans’ 30-point win the man they call ‘Horse’ is now one win away from squaring the ledger. It’s 12-11 to Scott, who was the 16^th AFL coach to reach 200 wins in the 2022 grand final, with one draw.

In proof of the worth of his nine-year coaching apprenticeship under Paul Roos at the Swans, which set him up for the magnificent career that has followed, Longmire at 53 is the second oldest among the 17 200-win coaches – behind only John Kennedy.

In chronological order, the 200-win coaches have been:

Born in Corowa, NSW, Longmire enjoyed a 10-3 win/loss record against Sydney as a 200-game full forward at North Melbourne. He averaged 3.38 goals per game against his ‘home’ side, with game-by-game hauls of 0-4-0-5-7-3-3-9-4-6-2-9-0-1.

But the 2012 premiership coach has more than made amends since joining the red and white, putting together a mind-blowing record as the No.1 coach in South Melbourne/Sydney Swans history. Longmire has:

• Piloted 16.3% of the club’s total wins since 1897.
• A win ratio of 63.3% which surpasses the club’s overall win ratio of 48.6%.
• Coached six of the club’s 21 100-point wins (28.6%)
• Coached 13 of the club’s 94 finals (13.8%)
• Coached 319 of the club’s 2552 games (12.5%)
• Coached 114 of 1452 Swans players (7.85%)
• Handed 86 Swans players their AFL debut.

Luke Parker, who debuted in Longmire’s seventh game as coach, has played in 174 of his 200 wins. Others in triple figures are Josh Kennedy (157), Dane Rampe (154), Jake Lloyd (146), Isaac Heeney (122), Harry Cunningham (119), Sam Reid (115) and Tom Papley (106).

Among 1452 South Melbourne/Sydney players all-time, only two have won more games in red and white – 372-game club record-holder Adam Goodes (216 wins) and 325-gamer Jarrad McVeigh (203 wins).

Win Ratio

Among the 381 coaches officially listed in all-time records he is equal 22^nd for games coached, 17^th for wins, and, among 87 who have coached a minimum 100 games, he is ninth for win ratio.

His 63.29% ratio is bettered by only John Coleman (68.80%), Chris Scott (68.28%), Dick Reynolds (66.99%), Peter Pianto (66.83%), Jock McHale (66.06%), Frank Hughes (65.08%), Tom Hafey (64.75%) and Bob Davis (64.22%).

At the Beginning

On the weekend of 24-27 March 2011, when John Longmire coached the Swans for the first time, only six of the current opposition coaches were in the AFL – Michael Voss, Chris Scott, Brad Scott, Damien Hardwick, Ross Lyon and Alastair Clarkson.

Four of them – Voss, Brad Scott, Hardick and Clarkson – are now at different clubs, and a fifth, Lyon, is back at the same club after a stint elsewhere.

Other Round 1 coaches in 2011 were fellow first-gamer James Hird (Essendon), plus Neil Craig (Adelaide), Brett Ratten (Carlton), Mick Malthouse (Collingwood), Dean Bailey (Melbourne), Matthew Primus (Port Adelaide), Rodney Eade (W/Bulldogs) and John Worsfold (W/Coast).

The Gold Coast Suns were a week away from their first game under Guy McKenna in Round 2, and the GWS Giants were 12 months from formation.

Opposition Coaches

John Longmire has coached against 52 different coaches, including 13 against whom he has locked horns at least 10 times.  They are

                  24 Chris Scott (Geel)
                  22 Alastair Clarkson (Haw/NM)
                  19 Leon Cameron (GWS)
                  17 Damien Hardwick (Rich/GC)
                  14 Ross Lyon (StK/Frem)
                  14 Brad Scott (NM/Ess)
                  13 Luke Beveridge (WB)
                  13 Ken Hinkley (Port)
                  12 Adam Simpson (WC)
                  12 Nathan Buckley (Coll)
                  11 Simon Goodwin (Melb)
                  10 John Worsfold (WC/Ess)
                  10 Brett Ratten (Carl/StK/NM)

In his time in charge of the Swans the competition has seen a total of 84 coaches.

Longmire has coached most wins against GWS (17) from Essendon (15), St Kilda (15) and North (15), and least wins against Port Adelaide (7), Richmond (8) and Collingwood (9).

He has coached three draws – against Melbourne, Geelong and Fremantle.

A Debut Draw

John Longmire was the fifth of six AFL coaches to endure the emptiness of a draw in his first game. Before him were Geelong’s Billy Orchard (1914), Melbourne’s Percy Wilson (1921), North Melbourne’s Keith McKenzie (1966) and caretaker Brisbane coach Roger Merrett (1998), and since him the only person to coach a draw in his only game in charge was Essendon’s Gary O’Donnell when he deputised for Kevin Sheedy.

Longmire began his coaching journey on the same night as Andrej Everitt played his first game in red and white after a stint at the Western Bulldogs, while Timmy Sumner made his AFL debut, and a 19-year-old Sam Reid played his second game, having debuted in Round 22, 2009.

Sydney played Melbourne at the MCG at 2:10pm on Sunday 27 March 2011 to launch the Longmire career. After Ben McGlynn and Adam Goodes kicked the first two goals inside seven minutes they led until time-on in the fourth quarter, when Demons captain Brad Green soccered one off the ground in the goalsquare to put his side two points in front.

A rushed behind for Sydney cut it to one point before, with 50 seconds on the clock, Ryan O’Keeffe snapped hurriedly from the pocket to win it but sliced it just left.  

O’Keefe still picked up three Brownlow Medal votes for 31 possessions, while McGlynn’s three goals earned him one vote as Brent Moloney took two votes for Melbourne.

The Swans side for John Longmire’s first game as coach in notional positions only was:

B: Nick Smith, Ted Richards, Martin Mattner
HB: Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy, Jarrad McVeigh
C: Lewis Jetta, Jude Bolton, Andrew Everitt
HF: Dan Hannebery, Adam Goodes, Kieren Jack
F: Ben McGlynn, Jesse White, Paul Bevan
R: Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Ryan O’Keefe
INT: Gary Rohan, Sam Reid, Byron Sumner, Mark Seaby.

Milestone Wins

John Longmire’s 50^th win came in Round 5, 2014 against Fremantle at the SCG in his 79^th game overall and Jake Lloyd’s debut. Josh Kennedy was architect of a 17-point triumph with 38 possessions, a goal and three Brownlow Medal votes. His 100^th win  was 113-points against Richmond in Round 23, 2016 at the SCG (see below). And his 150^th win in his 244^th game was 30-point clinker against Collingwood at the SCG. They were 18 points down at quarter-time at 1.2 to 4.2 and held the Magpies to one goal in the last three quarters to win 10.12 (72) to 5.12 (42). In a sign of the transformation of his side, the medal votes went to Callum Mills (28 possessions), Isaac Heeney (22 possessions, three goals) and Tom Papley (13 possessions, two goals).

The Record Breaker

Jack Bissett, South Melbourne premiership coach in 1933 and beaten grand final coach in 1934-35-36, held the club record of 63 games won for a long time. He had a phenomenal 63-17 record. It was eventually broken by Rodney Eade (81-2-69) and then Paul Roos (116-2-84).

And in the semi-final of 2017 the record fell to John Longmire. The Swans had finished sixth on the home-and-away ladder and hosted seventh-placed Essendon at the SCG. In his 172^nd game at the helm he recorded his 117^th ‘W’ more than comfortably at 19.7 (121) to 8.8 (56).

It was and still is the second-biggest Swans finals win in history, surpassing the 71-point preliminary final win against North Melbourne at Stadium Australia to give Luke Parker a special 150^th-game celebration. Josh Kennedy (29), Parker (27) and Jake Lloyd (25) led the possession count and Lance Franklin (4), Dean Towers (3) and Callum Sinclair (3) led the goal-kicking.

Venues

John Longmire has coached and won at 18 different venues covering every State and territory except the NT, plus Wellington in New Zealand. He has an even or positive record everywhere except the MCG, where he’s 20-1-21 overall.

In chronological order, his match day ‘offices’ have been at the MCG, Stadium Australia, Subiaco, SCG, Canberra, Docklands, Gabba, Football Park, Carrara and Geelong (2011), Launceston (2012), Hobart and Wellington (2013), Sydney Showgrounds and Adelaide Oval (2014), Perth Stadium (2015), Cairns (2020) and Mt. Barker (2024).

At the SCG

In 13-and-a-half years at the Swans helm John Longmire has coached more games at the SCG than all but two Swans players have played at the club’s homeground since the move there 42 years ago. He has an 87-2-41 record at ‘headquarters’ to trail only Adam Goodes, who has enjoyed 94 wins and a draw from a ground record 143 games at the SCG, and Michael O’Loughlin, who has had 92 wins and a draw from 136 games. Jude Bolton played 129 games at the SCG for 86 wins and a draw.

History in New Zealand

John Longmire was part of AFL history when he coached in the first AFL game for premiership points played overseas. It was his 54^th game on Anzac Day 2013 as they took on St Kilda in year one of a three-year deal in which the Saints played a home game across the Tasman on Anzac Day.

Longmire, coaching against second-year St Kilda boss and ex-Sydney player Scott Watters, recorded his 26^th win as the Swans led all the way and prevailed 11.13 (79) to 9.9 (63) despite three late St Kilda goals.

Jarrad McVeigh played his 199^th game and Dane Rampe his third game as Ted Richards (16 possessions, one goal) picked up three Brownlow Medal votes. Dan Hannebery (30 possessions, two goals) earned two votes and Kieren Jack’s 21 possessions, one goal and a career-best 13 tackles was good for one vote. The crowd of 22,546 was almost as big as the two subsequent games against Brisbane in 2014 and Carlton in 2015 combined.

Streaks

John Longmire’s longest winning streak in his run to 200 was 12 in 2014. Coming off a preliminary final exit in 2013 they’d started poorly at 1-3. And, oddly, the win had come against Adelaide in Adelaide while the losses were all in Sydney – to GWS at Sydney Showgrounds, Collingwood at Stadium Australia and North Melbourne at the SCG. But in a stretch in which they travelled to the MCG (twice), Subiaco, the Gabba, Carrara and Docklands they won by an average of seven goals. They won nine in a row in 2012 and 2022, and are on an eight-win streak now.

100-Point Wins

John Longmire has coached six of the Swans 21 100-point wins all-time (28.6%). He heads Tom Hafey and Rodney Eade, who had four each from 1986-88 and 1996-2002 respectively and seven coaches who had one 100-point win each – Bert Howson (1919), Johnny Leonard (1932), Jack Bissett (1933), Herbie Matthews (1955), John Northey (1985), Ron Barassi (1995) and Paul Roos (2006).

As a coach Longmire has never been on the wrong end of a 100-point result, with his biggest loss 93 points to Geelong in Geelong in Round 6 last year. His six 100-point wins in chronological order have been:

Round 8, 2012

In his 32^nd game the fifth-placed Swans met a winless Melbourne at the SCG as Irishman Tommy Walsh made his AFL debut and Martin Mattner played his 199^th game. The home side kicked the first 10 goals, and it was 51 minutes before the Dees, under first-year coach Mark Neeld kicked their first major. The split was 86 points at the last change but Melbourne dug in. A Mattner goal, the Swans’ 20^th, made it an even 100 points before Josh Kennedy added one more. A late Melbourne goal, their third for the final term, saw it finish at 101 – 21.12 (138) to 5.7 (37). Kieren Jack and Luke Parker three apiece for the Swans as Jack (33 possessions), Ryan O’Keefe (34 possessions, one goal) and Dan Hannebery (33 possessions) took the Brownlow votes.

Round 16, 2013

Again the Swans dined out on the side at the bottom of the ladder as, sitting fourth themselves, they hosted GWS at the SCG as Craig Bird played his 100^th game in the fourth Sydney derby. Astonishingly, after 21 minutes it was 0-7 to the Giants’ 1-2. The home side kicked the next seven goals, and after two apiece they added another seven on the trot to get 95 points up early in the last. The Giants, under Kevin Sheedy, got two back but the Swans kicked the last seven to win 24.27 (171) to 5.12 (42). Jarrad McVeigh (35 possessions), Tom Mitchell (23 possessions three goals) and Nick Malceski (30 possessions, one goal) took the votes, while Kurt Tippett, Mike Pyke and Jesse White kicked three goals.

Round 11, 2014

This was no easypickings as third-placed Sydney played sixth-placed Geelong on a Thursday night at the SCG. The Cats sat second on the ladder and the Swans were fifth as John Longmire and Chris Scott met for the seventh time as coaching rivals. It was 2-2 through 2011-12, with each having won at home and away, before Scott won both meetings in 2014. Longmire, in his 84^th game, hit back hard against Scott in his 83^rd game. The Swans kicked the first six goals and 12 of the first 13 to lead by 73 points 22 minutes into the third quarter. It was three goals apiece for the next half hour before the home side kicked the last five goals to win 22.16 (148) to 5.8 (38). Ten years on it remains the only 100-point loss in Scott’s now 321-game career. Nick Malceski (37 possessions), Lance Franklin (23 possessions, four goals) and Kurt Tippett (13 possessions, five goals) took the votes, as Craig Bird (33 possessions), Josh Kennedy (32), Luke Parker (32), Rhyce Shaw (31) and Dan Hannebery (30) also feasted in a team possession count that favored Sydney 467-359.

Round 23, 2016 – Sydney 25.14 (164) d Richmond 7.9 (51) at SCG.

It was an extraordinary ladder heading into the final round of the 2016 home-and-away season, with Sydney, Adelaide, Geelong and Hawthorn on 64 points, and GWS, West Coast and Western Bulldogs on 60. They sat on top of the ladder on percentage over Adelaide but not by so much that they couldn’t be displaced as they hosted 13^th-placed Richmond in the Saturday twilight slot at the SCG. They led 5.6 to 0.5 at quarter-time, and after the Tigers got the first goal of the second term the Swans kicked the next 16 goals. Lance Franklin’s sixth 12 minutes after halftime tipped the margin over triple figures and it got out to 136 points when Franklin kicked his seventh early in the last. The Tigers, with 13 players who would be part of their premiership side under Damien Hardwick 13 months later, kicked five of the last six to cut the margin to 113 points. Franklin’s 7.4 and 11 marks earned him three Brownlow votes, while Josh Kennedy’s 37 possessions and two goals earned him two votes, and Ben McGlynn polled one vote for 20 possessions and five goals. Tom Mitchell (34 possessions), Dan Hannebery (31), Kieren Jack (31), Jake Lloyd (31) and Jarrad McVeigh (31) also had a day out as the Swans locked up the minor premiership.

Round 21, 2017 – Sydney 22.11 (143) d Fremantle 5.9 (39) at SCG.

Sydney sat 6^th on the ladder and in a dogfight for a finals berth as they hosted 14^th-placed Fremantle, who were two games plus percentage outside the eight but still with a mathematical chance. It was a 1:45pm Saturday game at the SCG and John Longmire’s 169^th game against Ross Lyon in his 260^th – a reunion of sorts after the pair had worked together as assistant coaches at the Swans. Sydney kicked the first eight goals, and after the Dockers got their first just before the siren they added the next eight to lead 16.6 to 1.3 five minutes after halftime. The visitors got it back to 81 points before the Swans kicked the last four. Lance Franklin’s 24 possessions and four goals earned him another three Brownlow votes, while Luke Parker (29 possessions, three goals) polled two votes and Dane Rampe (25 possessions) one vote.

Round 15, 2023 – Sydney 31.19 (205) d West Coast 5.4 (34) at SCG.

In his 297^th game in charge John Longmire enjoyed the highest score and biggest win of his coaching career when the Swans trounced a hapless West Coast in a Saturday twilight game at the SCG.  Sydney sat 15^th with five wins but West Coast had already suffered three 100-point losses for the season. In a goal procession, Sydney kicked the first two and then seven in a row after West Coast’s first. The visitors managed three of the first four goals of the second term to leave the scoreboard 4.1 to 10.6. The home side kicked the next 18 goals, and after West Coast added one more midway through the last quarter, they kicked the last four. A final score of 31.19 (205) to 5.4 (34) was the Eagles biggest ever loss and highest score conceded, and Sydney’s biggest win and second-highest score all-time – in their 2531^st game. Errol Gulden (32 possessions, three goals), Isaac Heeney (22 possessions, five goals) and Chad Warner (33 possessions, two goals) took the medal votes, while Angus Sheldrick had 29 possessions in his seventh game, Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey kicked four, and Justin McInerney and Hayden McLean three.