South West AFL Watch: Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir fires up over treatment of Busselton product Jye Amiss

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has fired up over the treatment of Busselton product Jye Amiss by opposition defenders, saying the young key forward had been consistently “manhandled” and calling for him to be better protected by umpires. Returning after spending a week on the sidelines due to a concussion suffered in the Dockers’ shock western derby loss to West Coast, Amiss booted two goals as his side recorded a 54-point win over Richmond at the MCG on Sunday, taking his tally to 12 in seven games this season. A flashpoint came late in the game when he found himself in a wrestling match with Richmond defender Ben Miller, who dropped his knee into Amiss’ head in the midst of the scuffle. Miller avoided a suspension and was instead issued a fine by the match review officer, while several Dockers were also financially sanctioned for a melee which broke out after the incident. In his post-match media conference, Longmuir said he had “big concerns with the way (Amiss has) been treated all year.” “We’ve gone to the umpires asking for a bit more protection for Jye. He had a concussion a couple of weeks ago against West Coast, missed last week with that concussion and some of the treatment he got behind the ball today — I understand defenders need to block runs but that incident late is not ideal,” he said. “I feel like he has been manhandled at times throughout the year. We need to look after those type of players. Opposition defenders see that he’s a little bit lighter framed and he’s young. The only way they can stop him is to get him in those wrestles and sometimes take it across the line. “In those situations, the umpires need to interpret those situations and stop it because defenders will keep getting away with what they’re allowed to get away with. We will continue that with the AFL. We need to look after him. I am concerned at times he is going to get injured.” Richmond coach Adam Yze bristled at the suggestion his team had treated Amiss unfairly. “Our defenders try to limit the access their forwards get at the ball,” he said. “So if that’s manhandling, well then that’s the game. We’re not going to allow a forward to get a clear run at it. “He’s a good young player that needs a jump at the footy. So our defenders do try to limit the opportunity that their forwards get to jump at the footy.” At West Coast, Brady Hough (Harvey) and Reuben Ginbey (Dunsborough) both produced solid performances as they suffered a nail-biting six-point loss to Essendon at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. Hough registered 15 disposals, took three marks and laid two tackles while Ginbey notched 16 disposals. Binningup product Clay Hall may come into the frame for a senior debut for the Eagles after the senior side suffered a number of injuries during the game. He picked up 17 disposals and laid two tackles in a 74-point loss to East Perth in the WAFL on Sunday, also avoiding a suspension after being reported for rough conduct. Assistant coach and former club captain Luke Shuey reserved praise for the 18-year-old when speaking to the media on Monday, saying the club had been “impressed with (him) from day one”. “His general toughness is at another level. He’s been working on a few different areas of his game and I would love to see him get an opportunity at some stage,” he said. Hough and Hall’s fellow Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault junior Ethan Hughes also featured in the WAFL after being omitted from Fremantle’s senior side in the wake of the derby defeat, winning 20 disposals in Peel Thunder’s 113-point win over West Perth on Saturday.