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  1. #1
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    Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

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    WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge starts his new job early on Monday morning.

    He tells Glenn McFarlane about his plans for the future and how he intends to bring a new level of consistency to one of the most inconsistent sides going around.

    Luke Beveridge starts with the Western Bulldogs on Monday. Picture: Rob Leeson


    GLENN McFARLANE: Congratulations on your appointment, Luke. Can you finish this sentence for me? “The Bulldogs in 2015 will be ...”
    LUKE BEVERIDGE: I’ll use four words: hard to play against. If we incur significant losses, we are not hard to play against. But if we are able to exhibit some kind of consistency, then OK, it looks like the Bulldogs will be harder to play against. I don’t want to sit here and make big statements about what our style will be like because I don’t know exactly how it is going to look. But I am excited. There is that anticipation about what the boys can produce. We will be open to making change and adjustment as we go, and I will be mindful of that. But what I can tell you is that we will be reaching for the sky.

    What sort of coach you will be?


    I really believe the best coaches adapt their plans to what is available. It is what you can do strategically and tactically, and how you can adapt that to your playing group and their capabilities. I think I was pretty good at it at St Bede’s-Mentone (Beveridge coached three successive flags in C, B and A grades). I was able to influence that at the Hawks and to a lesser extent at the Magpies. That’s my strength. I understand what is available and what the parameters are, and then it is all about empowerment.


    Does that empowerment extend to the Bulldogs players?

    LB: If there are certain caveats on what they can and can’t do, you have got to be a bit careful because it can stifle what sort of players they can be. I am sensitive to the games-played (numbers) based on their instincts and understand they are going to make mistakes. But I think I am good at knowing when they have stepped away from what you want them to do and when they have made a mistake.

    Luke Beveridge was unveiled as Western Bulldogs coach by chief executive Simon Garlick. Picture: David Caird


    Can you say what sort of style you want the Bulldogs to play next year and beyond?
    LB: As a coach, I always focus on the how to’s — how to be a good side. We are looking to cater for everything in the game. We know there are three phases, and some turnover stuff in between. We are looking for a really rounded approach without focusing on one area or the other. They are interdependent. You can’t be a good defensive side if you don’t use the footy well. If you turn the ball over in the back half, you are very vulnerable.

    How do you assess the Bulldogs’ list at the moment?

    The boys are evolving. There is a definite mix of youth and experience, and it is probably fixed more on the youth side in comparison to some of the clubs who are up the top of the ladder. The boys are moving into a phase of their performance where they will find their identity. My job is to help them get there. From that point of view, the big challenge is to give them something to hold on to because they are still really impressionable. That’s exciting. They are ready for some principles that are really going to take them to the next level.

    How quickly can that improvement come?

    We want to establish some consistency. I want them to be consistently hard to play against and maybe win a few of the ones that are a bit tighter. And if we drop a couple, then the margin isn’t that damning. That consistency will be something we will be searching for.
    What are the areas do you want to address immediately?

    Jake Stringer and Lachie Hunter will be looking to improve under new Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge. Picture: Michael Klein


    We will look at making some of the changes that we need to make and work out what needs to be maintained.

    I need to ask a lot of questions and I’ve already started doing that. Some of the generic things might need to be maintained and given strength. There will be changes, though, and I want the group to know first what those things might be. The other one is to talk to the group about what our expectations are. I am interested to hear from the players as to what they see as our current strengths and where they see us needing to improve. We need to align that with my expectations and understandings as well, so that we are all on the same page.


    What area needs the most attention in terms of improvement?

    When you look at our squad, there appears to be some real upside in the back end. We can really generate some improvement there. I look at the other two lines and the upside is there, but there is a longer way to go from the back end. If you look at the midfield and the forwards and what they might be able to produce, then performance-wise it is quite exciting. When I look at the back end, they are the same, but we really need to get it going to improve (in that area).

    There were suggestions of some player disunity at the club at the end of this season. How do you address that?

    For me, it is all about moving on and having us all working together to be the best that we can be.

    Nathan Hrovat is one of many young Western Bulldogs players that will be under Luke Beveridge’s eye. Picture: Michael Klein


    What’s the overwhelming personal feeling you will have when you head into the Whitten Oval tomorrow as senior coach?
    It’s a little bit of relief that the process is over and I am just really looking forward to the journey. The main emotion is excitement about getting the chance to take the club to the next stage.

    It must have been a whirlwind for you over the past five or six weeks. You were getting ready to start as St Kilda’s director of coaching when the Western Bulldogs came calling.

    The Hawthorn to St Kilda situation was really transparent. Hawthorn wanted me to fulfil my responsibilities at the club and the Saints were really happy with that. I saw it as a great opportunity to go and work with St Kilda as a potential stepping stone to being a senior coach.
    But that came sooner rather than later. Tell us about that first phone call from the Bulldogs?
    I got a call the day before I was leaving on an overseas holiday with my family (wife Dana and sons Kye, 16, and Noah, 13). They said they had done an early short-list and you are high up on our agenda and rankings and we would really like you to be a part of it. I told them I needed time to think about it. I knew that I could not compromise this family holiday. I probably should have taken some (coaching) stuff with me, but I left it behind because I didn’t want it to interfere with what was a once-in-a-lifetime holiday with the boys.




    Did the Bulldogs’ persistence show how keen they were on you?
    Yeah, it probably did. When I made that decision to opt in, I was all in. I started to prepare myself in the mind and I took some notes. They sent me over a brief about what they were after and that eased my mind. They gave me enough time to prepare for the interview. I arrived back in Australia (nine days ago) and I had the interview on the Tuesday, and I was fully prepared to go for the role.

    How difficult was it dealing with the Bulldogs when you were in the US with your family?

    I probably shielded the boys from it a bit. Dana was excited. But I was trying to make sure it did not interfere with our holiday. We started in San Francisco and we drove down the West Coast. We ended up down in San Diego and then we drove to Las Vegas and had a helicopter ride across the Grand Canyon. Then we went back to Anaheim and did the theme parks and Disneyland for the boys.

    How good were St Kilda through the process?

    Unbelievably. Richo (St Kilda coach Alan Richardson) rang me and offered to help with the presentation from one of their IT guys, if it was required. I got some messages yesterday that were great.

    Luke Beveridge coached St Bede’s-Mentone to three straight flags in the VAFA.

    Did you ever think you might be in this position when you were coaching St Bede’s-Mentone in the amateurs in 2006?
    Not at the start. During the third year I coached the boys, I started to think I might pursue this at a part-time level. I applied for a TAC job and got the (Sandringham) Dragons job, but I was fortunate enough for Derek Hine and Mick Malthouse to give me an opportunity at the Pies (in 2009-10). And I can’t thank Hawthorn enough for their support over the past few years.

    You mentioned the importance of strong family values at your press conference. How important has that been for you and have you thought about the work-life balance you will have to strike?

    My immediate family is Dana and the boys; it is the core of your being. It is crucial that we have got that right. Dana and I have been together since we were 15. I’ve always had a strong circle of friends. There were hundreds of messages on my phone (after the appointment). I tried to get back to everyone and I have only just done it. The club has indicated that they are keen to help me keep that work-life balance. It is about having good people around you, and that was the great thing at Hawthorn. Clarko (Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson) is a great leader, but he has good people around who he can delegate to. He built a trust and it is a credit to him to build that sort of environment.

    You’ve probably had one of the biggest months of your life. Do you feel refreshed and ready for the challenge?

    I’m refreshed. The timing is right and I’m ready to go.

    Luke Beveridge with his family outside his Bentleigh East home. Picture: Rob Leeson

    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

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  3. #2
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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Continued from above

    LUKE’S LOWDOWN


    Luke Beveridge on ...
    TOM BOYD
    He is still physically adapting to the rigours of the AFL. Even at the moment, we have to make sure his body is right. He is a big boy and we have got to make sure we look after him. There might be some time before he is ready physically to endure it.”

    THE FACT HE IS ONE OF FOUR CURRENT AFL COACHES TO HAVE WORKED UNDER ALASTAIR CLARKSON

    “There’s actually been five of us, if you consider Todd Viney, who filled in at the Demons. (The others are Damien Hardwick, Leon Cameron and Adam Simpson). It is a credit to Clarko. What he does is do his due diligence about getting good people and that’s a great starting point. He was one of the first to send me a message (of congratulations). I will forever be indebted to Hawthorn — the coaching staff there as well as the players.”


    Western Bulldogs recruit Tom Boyd tries on his new colours at the Whitten Oval today. Pic: Michael Klein


    HIS INHERITED SUPPORT STAFF — ROHAN SMITH, BRETT MONTGOMERY, STEVEN KING, JOEL COREY AND DANIEL GIANSIRACUSA

    “A tight-knit coaching group is crucial. That’s what we had at Hawthorn, and that was what was in place at Collingwood. Those boys win their positions based on the prospect that they are good at their job. And I am looking forward to working with them. We, as a coaching group, need to be galvanised as a group. That will be one of my early mandates to establish that.”

    THE PROSPECT OF AN EXPERIENCED SENIOR ASSISTANT COACH BEING ADDED

    “We have spoken about it and what that might look like. In the near-to-medium term, we will look at the possibility of doing that.”

    WHO HIS SONS, KYE AND NOAH, WILL BARRACK FOR NOW?

    “This time around I am not sure what they will do. They have moved around a bit with me. They were both with St Kilda. When I was (development coach) at Collingwood, Noah came over and Kye stayed with St Kilda. When I went to Hawthorn, Noah stayed with Collingwood, and Kye came to Hawthorn. It will be interesting to see what happens now.”
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

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  5. #3
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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    couldn't they find a tighter fitting top!
    Listening to Brahm's 3rd Racket

  6. #4
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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Terrific article, thanks for posting.
    W00F!

  7. #5
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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Great article
    Thanks for posting

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Nice intro to LB, thanks BAD

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Quote Originally Posted by The Doctor View Post
    couldn't they find a tighter fitting top!
    Why does that matter?
    The curse is dead.

  10. #8
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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Thanks BAD, slowly warming to him now.
    The curse is dead.

  11. #9
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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Great article Bevo just keeps on impressing me think we have a good one here guys.

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Quote Originally Posted by Pickenitup View Post
    Great article Bevo just keeps on impressing me think we have a good one here guys.
    He has certainly ticked all the boxes and IMO he seems a great fit for us but only time will tell.
    What sort of game plan did he employ when he coached at the lower level ?
    It's better to die on our feet than live on our knees.

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    I have a son called Ky as well so he is a winner already in my book.

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Although it was almost an entirely predictable, scripted, typical coach's response, Beveridge's answer to the first question does identify for me what went wrong in the 2014 season.

    GLENN McFARLANE: Congratulations on your appointment, Luke. Can you finish this sentence for me? “The Bulldogs in 2015 will be ...”
    LUKE BEVERIDGE: I’ll use four words: hard to play against. If we incur significant losses, we are not hard to play against. But if we are able to exhibit some kind of consistency, then OK, it looks like the Bulldogs will be harder to play against.


    Last years results show that we were not that hard to play against and consistency during the game was the biggest problem. Almost every week we could be relied upon to have a match undermining quarter (or more) that completely negated any good work we were producing during the rest of the game.

    From the stats angle a few things stand out like dog's balls.

    From a total possessions perspective we ranked 10th. Getting the ball was not that much of a problem for us. On average, we had 9 more possessions a game than our opponents (perhaps very tellingly a split of -8 kicks and +18 handballs).

    Inside 50's tell a similar story, we did significantly better than our ladder position.

    Couple these two stats with our final ladder position where we won less than 1 in 3 games and had a percentage that was cruelled both by points for and even worse by points against relative to our ladder position and the explanatory picture that emerges is we were somewhat incapable of playing "smart" footy. Those who followed our season closely expressed this frequently in terms of our unvarying "numbers round the ball" style meant lots of effort for little return. Naturally, it is nearly impossible to maintain this for the full course of a game both physically and mentally. Sooner or later, the heads drop and the opposition pounces. That's where the consistency during the match kicks in.

    For mine, the first task for the new coach is to introduce "smart" footy into our playing style so that the heads don't drop as badly as they did in 2014.

    (stats: Footywire team rankings and the AFL ladder).
    Officially on the Bus-wagon

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Following up from my previous post - from Footywire, WB 2014 season:

    Statistical Rankings
    High Rankings
    Ranked 2nd in Handballs Per Game
    Ranked 3rd in Tackles Per Game
    Ranked 5th in least Opponent Kicks Per Game
    Ranked 2nd in least Opponent Disposals Per Game
    Ranked 1st in Team to Opponent Handballs Per Game Diff.

    Low Rankings
    Ranked 17th in Kicks Per Game
    Ranked 18th in Marks Per Game
    Ranked 13th in Points Per Game
    Ranked 15th in least Opponent Points Per Game
    Ranked 18th in least Opponent Tackles Per Game
    Ranked 15th in least Opponent Hitouts Per Game
    Ranked 12th in Team to Opponent Kicks Per Game Diff.
    Ranked 18th in Team to Opponent Marks Per Game Diff.
    Ranked 14th in Team to Opponent Points Per Game Diff.
    Ranked 15th in Team to Opponent Tackles Per Game Diff.
    Ranked 13th in Team to Opponent Hitouts Per Game Diff.

    Two interesting conclusions follow.

    We were handball happy.

    Even though we were the 2nd highest ranked team for minimising opponents' disposals, we were 15th lowest in terms of least opponent points per game. In short, our opponents didn't need that much of the ball to beat us.

    Our playing style could be characterised as ugly and ineffective. We were the most tackled team, we had the second highest number of handballs. This suggests a lot of disposals were made under pressure.

    Beveridge is starting from a low base in terms of game plans, playing styles and team structures.
    Officially on the Bus-wagon

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Having so few marks also means that our possessions were under pressure more often than other clubs. Given that we already don't have a highly skilled team, the extra pressure just leads to more mistakes. Our lack of spread is a major part of this problem, shown in the fact that opponents tackled more against us than anyone else.

    The fact that we conceded only 2nd least disposals but did concede 4th most points suggests that teams were able to run into space in attacking areas against us, using long kicks to swiftly move the ball forward against us. This again points to being overly inside and not having either the ability or desire to spread, both on attack and defence.

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    Re: Luke Beveridge believes timing is right for Western Bulldogs coach appointment

    Quote Originally Posted by divvydan View Post
    Having so few marks also means that our possessions were under pressure more often than other clubs. Given that we already don't have a highly skilled team, the extra pressure just leads to more mistakes. Our lack of spread is a major part of this problem, shown in the fact that opponents tackled more against us than anyone else.

    The fact that we conceded only 2nd least disposals but did concede 4th most points suggests that teams were able to run into space in attacking areas against us, using long kicks to swiftly move the ball forward against us. This again points to being overly inside and not having either the ability or desire to spread, both on attack and defence.
    Exactly, divvydan. I agree - this is what we watched all season. Think of the coast-to-coasts against us! So many were from a quick kick-in where almost all our players were concentrated in a small area of the ground following the missed shot on goal. On a positive note, I think we have quite a number of players with good skills now, the new coach has to develop a team style that lets them show their wares.
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