Former Fremantle player Josh Carr is set to return to the club as an assistant coach for the 2020 season.

A 124-game premiership player with Port Adelaide, Carr also played 83 games for Fremantle between 2005 and 2008.

After his retirement following the 2010 season, Carr continued on with the Power as an assistant coach between 2011 and 2015.

He then coached the North Adelaide Roosters for four seasons between 2016 and 2019, leading the Roosters to the SANFL Premiership in 2018.

Carr joins a coaching team led by new senior coach Justin Longmuir, who played alongside Carr at Fremantle for three seasons.

There are now five former Fremantle players on the club’s coaching panel, with Longmuir and Carr joining Simon Eastaugh, Roger Hayden and Next Generation Academy coach Tendai Mzungu.

Carr said that returning to Fremantle wasn’t about coming back to WA, but instead to take on a coaching role at a club showing a lot of promise.

“I’m just more excited about where Fremantle is at, to be honest,” Carr said.

“It wasn’t a matter of returning home, it was just about the opportunity within football and the AFL and it makes it even more exciting that it’s at Fremantle.

“With where the list is at, it’s a reasonably young group with a couple of older players. In the past few years since they missed finals, I feel like the hunger has grown within the football club. 

“There’s obviously been some changes through the football club as well and I see that as an exciting time to be joining the club.”

Carr said he felt that his coaching style would work well with Longmuir’s.

He said the pair met up after Longmuir took on the role as senior coach last week. 

“After sitting down with Justin (last week), I felt that the way that he coaches fits into the same way that I do," Carr said.

“I like to think I’m pretty personable with the way that I talk with the players and discuss the way that the game should be played.

“I’m looking forward to bringing over my experience, not just after coaching at North Adelaide but also from working at Port Adelaide as an assistant. 

“With that knowledge that I’ve been building over time, hopefully, I can teach the players what I know and also allow them to grow into the players that they want to be.

"That’s what excites me about the opportunity to coach there.” 

General manager of football Peter Bell said he was thrilled with the appointment of Carr. 

“It fantastic to have Josh signing on as an assistant coach and returning to Fremantle,” Bell said.

“Josh is an exceptional person who has developed an impressive resume in his eight years of coaching.

“He has a great knowledge of the game and we know he will fit in well with our current coaching team under Justin Longmuir. 

“It’s a bonus that he’s a Fremantle person as well, and we know he has the hunger that will help bring success to our club.”