Luke Beveridge ready to forge his own new chapter with Bulldogs

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When he is not consumed by the day-to-day dealings of coaching, or spending time with his wife Dana and two children, Luke Beveridge likes to pick up a book. This can be anything from a The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, to a range of Malcolm Gladwell's works to a biography on the world's best sports coaches.

"I have a diverse interest in literature. I will read a book like the talent code which talks about skill acquisition and then I'll read Gladwell's David and Goliath or The Tipping Point, or the Outliers. All that is important," Beveridge says.
Books of this kind have helped the new Western Bulldogs coach improve his leadership, and understand others. He remembers reading a biography on the great Green Bay Packers NFL coach Vince Lombardi, while completing a level-two coaching certificate late in his own AFL playing career with St Kilda, then under the guidance of coach Stan Alves.

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Beveridge during his playing days. Photo: Ken Irwin

"One of the things you had to do was write a synopsis on a famous coach. I did mine on Lombardi. It occurred to me when I was reading the biography I read that Stan Alves was like an AFL version of Lombardi, the way he went about his coaching. [But] I have never asked him that question," Beveridge said.

"There were so many similarities, with the military stuff ... Alvesy used to get us doing military drills and the disciplines and the way you interacted with people."
St Kilda was Beveridge's last stop in his 118-game career, having initially spent time under John Northey at Melbourne and then three years with the Western Bulldogs.
"Johnny Northey was a great motivator as coach and probably taught me the emotional side of the game, and being able to take your players on a journey is still really critical," Beveridge said.

"Johnny had you on the edge every time you played. There is a real strength in that. Sometimes reading and having an understanding of different ideas and cultures, even flora and fauna, it can help you in some of your messaging."

Beveridge's messaging has been clear since he joined the Dogs. Upon taking his seat in his office for the first time at Whitten Oval, he knew there was much to do but it had to be done in an organised manner. While fitness requirements and game plans were vital, there was more to be done, for the Dogs were still hurting from the shock departures of his predecessor Brendan McCartney and disenchanted skipper Ryan Griffen.

"I knew that it was going to be a conundrum - whether you wanted to do everything now or be patient and do it over a period of time," Beveridge said.
"You are trying to work out where to start, and on what level. Are you starting straight away to just make sure you get to know everyone? Are you starting to send out a message around what we want from a performance point of view?

"I started on more the emotional and get-to-know everyone level, and probably tried to give them an insight into me, maybe me a little bit as a person. I didn't want to talk too much about me.
"It was just where we wanted to head, not so much from a productivity point of view, but as us working together and how important it was that we get that right from the start. We pretty much went from there."

The word from inside the Kennel is that it is a more harmonious place. President Peter Gordon says he couldn't be happier in terms of the connections Beveridge has forged with those around him. This would include with Brett Montgomery, who had been one of the favourites for the top job but missed out, and took a few days to assess whether he wanted to stay. Montgomery has returned as Beveridge's senior assistant, with all coaches recently getting together in a happy gathering at Beveridge's home.

"We have reorganised a little bit and now we have got some things in place. He [Montgomery] is now better positioned to reassume that senior assistant space because one of the things you do is - you are taking the players on a new journey but you are taking the coaches on a new journey as well," Beveridge said.

It promises to be an intriguing journey, for the Dogs boast some of the competition's best young talent, with the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Boyd, Tom Liberatore, Nathan Hrovat and Lachie Hunter likely to lead a ladder uprising in the near future.
Skipper Bob Murphy has spoken about a more adventurous game plan this year, while Liberatore, now part of the leadership group, believes climbing into the top eight is a realistic ambition. Told of this, Beveridge, 44, responds with an answer all rookie coaches would be wise to follow.

"I don't know whether I like adventure, and [it's reported] I am turning them into greyhounds and this sort of stuff, because the headlines don't always match the content," he said.
"I don't really want to forecast ladder positions or numbers but I generally believe we can grow really quickly. I don't know what the result of that is in relation to the competition. But I have seen enough already to be buoyant with what we are aiming to do. I don't know how many wins that means.

"We will be picking sides week in, week out, that are our best sides. With us, everything is for the future. Everything you do now is for the future. We just need to make sure we make good decisions week in, week out."
Beveridge, the backline coach in Hawthorn's back-to-back flags, remains good friends with Alastair Clarkson. He also plays cricket with Hawks assistants Brendon Bolton and Cam Bruce, and considers fellow senior coaches Leon Cameron, a former Bulldog, and Adam Simpson good friends.

Having had a successful stint as a premiership coach with St Bedes-Mentone in the VAFA, worked in player development during Collingwood's 2010 premiership year, and had a key role with the Hawks, Beveridge - and his family - would seem as well prepared as they could for what lays ahead.
"I suppose this time of the year we are not playing [and everyone is happy] but it's going to hit between the eyes when the season starts."

New Bulldogs coach looks to buzzing 'mosquito fleet

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has backed his "mosquito fleet" to lead a Dogs uprising this season, and has revealed Tom Boyd can expect to spend time in the ruck to help ease the expected focus on the high-priced recruit.


Heading into his maiden season as a senior coach, Beveridge has worked assiduously behind the scenes to restore greater harmony among the playing group and club departments after a tumultuous end to 2014 when coach Brendan McCartney and captain Ryan Griffen left.


There will be a fierce spotlight on the teenaged Boyd, who was traded from Greater Western Sydney as part of a deal for Griffen on a seven-year contract worth more than $6 million. The power forward has played only nine senior matches but Beveridge could not be happier with his application through a pre-season where the Dogs have revamped their game plan.


However, with a string of tall young talent, including a revitalised Ayce Cordy, Jack Redpath, Tom Campbell and Jake Stringer, Beveridge has made it clear Boyd will need to earn his place, even in the NAB Challenge series.


"He has worked really hard. It's probably his first full pre-season. You probably always have a bit of an interrupted pre-season in your first year, when he was at the Giants," Beveridge told Fairfax Media.


"He has got through his work. It's going to take him a while to condition himself to the level of actually playing four quarters at an AFL level. But we couldn't be more pleased with his application. He is a mature head, a bit like Bonnie [Marcus Bontempelli]. Even his experience in the media, he talks like he has been involved for 10 years.


"He has had a couple of little collisions and has been opened up with cuts and broken fingers. He has soldiered on. He is preparing himself pretty well. Hopefully, we can get him involved pretty early and start to build what should be a pretty good career."


Boyd can also expect to be used in the ruck, a move which could free the 200-centimetre giant up if the opposition focus on him inside attacking 50 becomes too great.


"Boydy will have to play a bit in the ruck. He is not going to be able to survive as a key forward," Beveridge said. "We can't put him in cotton wool. He is actually quite a good stand-and-deliver ruckman. I haven't see him jump yet because we haven't had him doing that."


The Dogs won seven matches last season, one less than 2013, but hope to regain ground this year under new skipper Bob Murphy, despite losing more than 800 matches of experience and becoming the third-youngest side with 22 players having less than 25 senior games to their credit.


In order to do so, the Dogs are set, as Murphy said, to play more of an adventurous style, having focused on improving their grunt work under McCartney.


They have worked diligently on team defence and ball movement, particularly the last kick inside 50, and want to ramp up pressure on opponents, having let their rivals hit a target by foot 67.6 per cent of the time last year – the worst percentage of any side.


Beveridge has also wanted greater versatility and depth, with a focus on having more numbers through the midfield. He has dubbed the likes of Luke Dahlhaus and Nathan Hrovat his "mosquito fleet" – a name synonymous with the Carlton premiership sides of 1981-82.


"We have a pretty good 'mosquito fleet' – Dahlhaus, Hrovat, [Lachie] Hunter, [Mitch] Honeychurch and we, obviously have brought some new kids in, who I don't really want to talk about but you never know whether one of them is going to step up," Beveridge said. "Those boys will need to spend a little bit of time in the midfield, whether it's outside or in, I don't know."


He said key forward Stringer, who booted 26 goals last year, had enjoyed a strong pre-season, Cordy, out of contract at the end of the season, was challenging Will Minson for the No.1 ruck role, while Lin Jong continued to develop.


"Jongy seems like he is ready to go. There are still some areas of his game that will continue to improve but the signs are, he is powerful, quick, we think that he can make an impression," Beveridge said.


Rangy midfielder Bontempelli, last year's Rising Star runner-up who emerged as a future superstar, can expect to spend more time in the midfield, with Beveridge liking his "dimensions" to that of Fremantle match-winner, Nat Fyfe. Bontempelli has a slight edge in height and weight on his more experienced Docker.


"The possibility and probability that he is going to be one of the competition's best, I think it's right in our face, but we have got to manage that the right way and utilise that the right way, make sure we support him because he is the versatile type," Beveridge said.

Interesting Cordy seems to be ahead of Campbell at this stage.

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Originally Posted by bornadog

Interesting Cordy seems to be ahead of Campbell at this stage.

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A Swans member I spoke to last year said dropping Minson for Cordy was a good move against the Swans as Cordy is different to many other rucks in the competition (e.g. Pyke). We could be playing each at different times depending on opposition match ups.

I like Beveridge's study of coaching via books and biographies, I like his vernacular: "...I suppose this time of the year we are not playing [and everyone is happy] but it's going to hit between the eyes when the season starts''." and "...The possibility and probability that he (Bonnie <sic>) is going to be one of the competition's best, I think it's right in our face..."
I think he's going to be a good communicator and someone who will take the bull by the horns. We could have a team of matadors and mosquitoes.

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Originally Posted by Mofra

A Swans member I spoke to last year said dropping Minson for Cordy was a good move against the Swans as Cordy is different to many other rucks in the competition (e.g. Pyke). We could be playing each at different times depending on opposition match ups.

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That sounds promising. If Cordy can take the reins for some matchups then mighty Will can conserve his strength for part of the long season of rucking and maybe Cordy can develop his craft and his confidence and the confidence of supporters!
Soft hands and eyes on the ball Ayce.

If Cordy plays like the last half of the VFL qualifying final there's hope. But I'm still unsure, hopeful, but unsure on him.

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

If Cordy plays like the last half of the VFL qualifying final there's hope. But I'm still unsure, hopeful, but unsure on him.

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He's getting there but his marking is a major concern for me.

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Originally Posted by Twodogs

He's getting there but his marking is a major concern for me.

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He's an ok mark. Luke Darcy was an ok mark. The positive to Cordy is he seems to understand where to run and he is mobile. I agree his marking should be a feature, but he has other strengths.

I am really tired of having ruckman who cannot reliably take a mark. I love Big Will however having both he & Cordy with cement hands is IMO not good enough if we want to be successful. Not sure what the answer is, however to me it is a big weakness. Will kind of makes up for it when he is on song by being such a good tap ruckman.

Hoping Bevo's plans work out, that Will is back to 2013 form and Cordy surprises us all.

I'm still reasonably optimistic with Campbell as Will's replacement in a few years, after he recovers from (shoulder?) injury. That's if we hang on to him. Got a feeling some other clubs might chase him at end of year.