Luke Beveridge speaks for the first time about tension at the Bulldogs

[GVGjr]

Thanks for clarifying that. Wonder if Rohan is just too one-eyed Bulldog to consider coaching elsewhere. His record with premierships as an assistant and also VFL premiership coach, would ensure there was interest you would think.

He knew a few weeks before the season ended that he wasn't going to be coaching with us but he stuck to his tasks.
You may recall when we played GWS at Ballarat and Bruce had done his knee and Keath was off straight after the 3 quarter time address Smith sprinted to the change room to check on his boys. He was never dropped his head and was loyal to Bevo and the club right through. Perhaps he will surface somewhere next season. He was highly regarded for his development work as well.

[ledge]

Thanks for clarifying that. Wonder if Rohan is just too one-eyed Bulldog to consider coaching elsewhere. His record with premierships as an assistant and also VFL premiership coach, would ensure there was interest you would think.

I thought Maple and Hansen were our VFL premiership coaches.

[Uninformed]

I thought Maple and Hansen were our VFL premiership coaches.

Could be right. I was going from memory and can't find anything to confirm a VFL premiership for him.

[Uninformed]

He knew a few weeks before the season ended that he wasn't going to be coaching with us but he stuck to his tasks.
You may recall when we played GWS at Ballarat and Bruce had done his knee and Keath was off straight after the 3 quarter time address Smith sprinted to the change room to check on his boys. He was never dropped his head and was loyal to Bevo and the club right through. Perhaps he will surface somewhere next season. He was highly regarded for his development work as well.

A really passionate clubman.

By the way it seems by this quote from the HS that you will let anybody into that tent?

Luke Beveridge says he’s ‘comfortable with the media’ despite perceived tensions. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
“That’s my priority, I think a lot of that stuff affects the people around you more than anyone else … at times friends and family and the people you are in the tent with at the club and all those inquisitive as to how you manage your way through it.

[ledge]

A really passionate clubman.

By the way it seems by this quote from the HS that you will let anybody into that tent?

Luke Beveridge says he’s ‘comfortable with the media’ despite perceived tensions. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
“That’s my priority, I think a lot of that stuff affects the people around you more than anyone else … at times friends and family and the people you are in the tent with at the club and all those inquisitive as to how you manage your way through it.

Should be hiring it out to Matty Lyons .. the conTENT Matt is putting out he deserves it.

[Axe Man]

Part 1 of Glenn McFarlane exclusive chat with Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge

Luke Beveridge enters his 10th year in charge of the Western Bulldogs hoping the challenges of 2023 are behind him. He opens up to GLENN MCFARLANE in part one of an exclusive chat.

Luke Beveridge wasn?t trying to escape; he was living ? and learning.

In the weeks after closing out one of his most challenging seasons, the Western Bulldogs coach and his wife, Dana, embarked on a four-wheel-drive expedition up the pristine coastline of New South Wales and Queensland.

After a season in which the Bulldogs missed the finals, and with a review into the club?s football operations on the horizon ? in part because of tensions between him and executive director football Chris Grant ? Beveridge hit the road ? or more?s the point, the beach.

He and Dana were not off-the-grid, but they were far enough away from the madding crowds ? and the footy bubble ? to finally get some peace last October.

?Part of that, to me, was exposing myself to the elements and to adventure, because I am always talking about stepping outside of your comfort zone,? Beveridge said this week.

?The extreme of the three-and-a-half week journey for Dana and I up the east coast of Australia was to drive 25km on the peninsula up to Double Island Point ? up past Noosa. You drive along the sand ? it?s like a freeway, then you are crossing on to soft sand.

?It?s about 11km from Rainbow Beach, where you can also drive along the sand, and often 4WDs are taken out by the rising tide because they don?t calculate it right.

?I am not a 4WD expert. I did get myself bogged up there.

?We had a fair bit of isolation. We were on remote beaches. It was just something very different where we got away from all the creature comforts (that we can take for granted).?

As idyllic as the location was, he was still connected to the club ? by mobile phone.

And there was plenty happening.

?During that time we were appointing four new coaches (Matt Egan, Daniel Pratt, Jarryn Geary and Alex Johnson) and I was trying to talk acquisition types like Lachie Bramble, Nick Coffield and James Harmes into coming (to the club),? he said.

?I made sure I was somewhere (with reception) where I needed to be.

?We just hopped the NSW and Queensland coastline for three and a half weeks. We just exposed ourselves to the elements. We swagged it ? I wouldn?t say we were roughing it, we were always close enough to civilisation.

?But it was great, there was a lot of reading and there was a lot of self reflection.

?It was good for (Dana) to be able to enjoy some freedom with me away from it (the pressure of football), without jumping on a plane and flying overseas.?

Beveridge?s rare glimpse into his private time is in part to explain his desire to get better in all aspects of his life.

No matter what the results or ramifications are in any given season, as part of his own self-assessment, he has pledged to work on improving his skill set in the off-season.

Last year?s four-wheel-drive expedition was an extension of that.

As he prepares to enter his 10th season as Bulldogs coach, he says he doesn?t believe in reinvention as a leader or mentor.

He prefers evolution as a more authentic pathway. ?Your evolution as a mentor or as a coach happens weekly, but definitely year on year,? he said.

?I am on this constant drive to improve my intellect and broaden my wisdom through what I read ? and it has really helped me over the journey because it allows you to evolve and be original on any new odyssey.?

And after the challenges and pressures of 2023, he is confident he and the Bulldogs are about to embark on their own exciting new odyssey.

WHAT WENT WRONG LAST YEAR
A slower than expected start to last season, and five losses by two goals or less in the final eight weeks seemed too bad to be true for the Bulldogs.

?We will never make excuses,? Beveridge said.

?We just couldn?t cover certain injuries during games and that was more to do with our team profile, so I feel like we are better prepared this year.?

The loss to lowly West Coast in round 23 ? amid rumblings of tension within the club ? increased the pressure on Beveridge.

Asked if 2023 had been his toughest season, he said: ?The hardest years were what happened after our early success (a drought-breaking first club flag in 62 years in his second season as coach in 2016).?

?We had more turmoil than just losing games. We just had issues where internally our group hadn?t dealt well with success, so it took a while to come out of that.

?That?s what I am pretty proud of ? each time we have been able to re-emerge ? and yes, we didn?t make the finals last year and we bowed out too quickly the year before (2022) ? but we are still in the mix. I believe we are about to re-emerge.?

GRANT TENSIONS
It?s been the talk of the footy world for months, how the relationship between Beveridge and Grant ?frayed? late last year, in chief executive Ameet Bains? own words.

Beveridge doesn?t back away from the fallout, but stressed it wasn?t the reason behind the chasm between the team?s best and worst. And he stressed the changes made as part of the review had the desired effect in easing the tension.
It came to a head when Grant moved on Beveridge?s long-time assistant coach ? and close friend ? Rohan Smith to bring new faces into the club.

Some saw it as a challenge to Beveridge?s leadership.

?It was challenging ? Rohan and I are great friends,? Beveridge said.

?Believe it or not, it is the 30-year anniversary of the VFL 1994 reserves premiership that Rohan and I played in.

?Rohan was a backline coach and defensive phase co-ordinator, he was a significant one who contributed enormously ? it was a shock to us.

?Getting past that was a process, but we have moved on.

?Rohan is doing well away from the club, and (new defensive coach) Daniel Pratt has come in and taken that function now and is doing a good job.?

As much as the Bulldogs have had significant change to the program in recent years, Beveridge still wants those who have departed to be applauded for their efforts.

?Some of (the changes) were natural attrition and as you know Rohan?s was probably different to that, but ultimately the people who have worked at our club need to be respected because they have made a significant contribution,? he said.

THE REVIEW
Contrary to what many thought, Beveridge supported the decision for a review into the club?s football operations undertaken by Peter Jackson over the summer.

?It is not foreign to any workplace for everything to not be absolutely the ?Garden of Eden?,? Beveridge said.

?It doesn?t matter what space you are in ? you need maintenance in your program.

?I like having a default position so that when a question is asked, the default position is, ?Yeah, we might be able to do that?. But I think over time our default position became, ?We can?t do that?. Different things have impacted on that, whether it was the pandemic or budget cuts, or sometimes personnel changes.

?Over time, because of my desire to make sure we have got a thriving workplace, I am always trying to make sure things are flowing ? but what has come out of the review is that there were recommendations in certain areas where we absolutely had to improve.?

He added: ?I have heard the word cathartic used (to describe the review) ? ultimately Peter Jackson formed a pivotal role in being able to listen to people about areas they felt could be improved.

?So when I sat down with Peter numerous times throughout the journey, he was reasonably open. There were some things in the confidential aspects of it, (but) he was very open with any feedback around me ? most of it was really, really positive, but some of the feedback was that, ?Hey, people feel like you get bogged down with the things you feel are important, that you need some help with?. I?ve taken that on board.?

Jackson?s decision to change the roles and responsibilities connected to Beveridge have changed the dynamic. The coach now reports to Egan, not Grant.

Beveridge is quick to point out that Egan?s football operations manager role is not a new one. It?s just that role got swallowed up in the Covid years.

?Historically, that central management operational figure ? is about making sure nothing gets held up in a queue and the value proposition around your personnel and how they feel about working at the footy club and how we are helping them with rewards and recognition.

?That is the role that Matty is performing now.?

It means that while Beveridge sees Grant on a daily basis at the Whitten Oval, their interaction is minimal, which has eased the tension.

?We see each other every day but as far as the planning, the strategic aspect of what we do and the core footy elements and the day-to-day coaching and performance focus, that is something that Chris has moved away from into more strategic things, so the interaction isn?t like it was,? he said.

CONNECTIONS
Beveridge always felt as if he was heavily invested in his relationship with his players, but he concedes the review tweaks have freed him up in some areas.

?There are a lot of things happening in the hierarchy of a football club that the coach is exposed to, so now Matt (Egan) provides a little bit of a buffer for me,? Beveridge said.

?It frees yourself up for the personalised aspect of the role, and having (more) conversations not just about performance but also about life.

?I don?t think I have not taken up the responsibility (in the past) ? but it is nice not having to worry about some of the minutiae, that others can maybe take care of a bit more.?

He takes umbrage at any suggestion that his connection to the group has not been strong in recent years.

?You can?t please everyone ? (but I) have never had an issue where I felt like I (have) lost the players,? he said. ?(If it happened), I would just finish up.?

PERCEPTIONS
Beveridge doesn?t care about the external perceptions about himself, but knows some of them are inaccurate.

Is he too loyal to those close to him? No, but he says loyalty is one of his attributes.

Is he too stubborn? ?That is a fallacy. The people I have worked with will tell you that I oversee a really democratic environment,? he said.

Does he pick too many fights with the media?

?I?m comfortable (with the media),? he said. ?There are not many in the media who are vindictive and nasty. There are a couple, but ultimately I totally respect the media?s role and influence in the game.?

At times, he has found the media saturation of the game challenging.

?I feel like I am more of an introvert than an extrovert,? he said. ?One of the things I have had to come to grips with is the public nature of my life.?

He dismissed the assertion from Kane Cornes that he had gone ?missing? in terms of his media presence across the summer months.

?It doesn?t worry me,? he said. ?In season, I do two pressers a week, I am serving our corporate partners, our coteries and our internal messaging.

?I must say that it is nice to have context to talk about (here) because I find it difficult just to talk about us without relating it back to the competition. Now that we are playing against (opposition) teams, you have got something to relate it to and that gives you perspective.?

Asked how he will handle the scrutiny that will come on him and the club this season, he says: ?I am not apathetic towards it, but I have got my own way of focusing on the things that require my attention.?

?That?s my priority, I think a lot of that stuff affects the people around you more than anyone else ? at times friends and family and the people you are in the tent with at the club and all those inquisitive as to how you manage your way through it.

?But I am fit and healthy and strong.

?We have had a really good three months ? an authentic period where we have been able to do some things on our own terms, (with) new experiences and new things together, so we will go into the season starting a new storyline.?

?We?re all feeling good about that.?

[Axe Man]

Part 2 of Glenn McFarlane?s exclusive chat with Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge

In part two of his exclusive chat with GLENN McFARLANE, Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge talks about the new recruits, the draftee who could be better than Bailey, how the AFL should approach concussion and his pre-season mantra.

Luke Beveridge has a pre-season tradition he has carried throughout his tenure as coach of the Western Bulldogs.

While most of the football public are uncertain of what the Bulldogs can produce this year, the man who has been at the helm since late 2014 is always glass half full when assessing the playing group?s potential.

Never mind the fact the Dogs failed to play finals last season and even lost to lowly West Coast, a round 23 defeat that cost them the chance to play in September.

But the coach sees it differently, and he?s confident not only of a swift bounce back in his 10th season as Bulldogs coach, but also of a pathway towards success.

When this masthead asked him for his assessment of the Bulldogs? list, he was buoyant about what this group could achieve, saying the profile is better than it was 12 months ago after bringing in eight new faces.

?Each year I tell the players we can be the best team in the competition,? Beveridge said.

So, has he told them that this pre-season? ?I?ve told them a few times,? he added.

The club and Beveridge, who is contracted until the end of 2025, are under pressure.

Whether he gets a chance to fulfil that deal could depend on his team?s results this year, but the coach is confident the Bulldogs can shoot back up the ladder.

?Year in and year out it is a challenge in this competition, to be at your best and to be the best team means you are always trying to get ahead of the curve,? Beveridge said.

?You are looking three to six months, or nine to 12 months or even 18 months ahead all the time.

?I feel like we have lost some players (in the past few years) because you can?t hold on to everyone, but I think in recent times, especially out of this (2023) draft, I really feel like we have replenished probably better than most people think.

?The profile of the eight players who came in, we needed.?

The Bulldogs traded for Saint Nick Coffield and Demon James Harmes, took former Hawk Lachie Bramble as an SSP pick-up, and also brought in draftees Ryley Sanders, Jordan Croft, Joel Freijah, Lachlan Smith and Aiden O?Driscoll.

?Other than (young ruckman) Lachie Smith, they (the recruits) are all utility types who can play in a couple of roles, but they have also brought an energy to the group,? Beveridge said.

?They have gone through the bulk of the training, which is pretty significant, as have Harvey Gallagher and Charlie Clarke as well as Judd Busslinger, they were our three kids out of (2022 draft). I really feel that the younger guys have energised us and, as you know, there is a pretty good blend of experience as well.?

NO HOLDING BACK
Exciting teenager Ryley Sanders ? the club?s pick No.6 in last year?s draft ? is on track to make his AFL debut against Melbourne after a flawless pre-season.

He reminds Beveridge a little of Bailey Smith when he first walked into Whitten Oval, but is perhaps even more advanced.

While Beveridge knows there is a long road ahead for the young midfielder, he can?t help but be impressed.

?When the first starters commence, you are looking for their graduation over a period of weeks and then months,? he said.

?It was probably a bit like Bailey Smith when he first came in, but even more profound.

?About two and a half weeks in, I said to our guys, ?Hey I don?t think you are going to have to hold this young bloke back too much?.

?The risk is there to a degree, but consider what he has already done beforehand and think who he is and what he is doing, and let?s not miss this opportunity because we have held him back too much.

?That was his foothold in December, then to see the way he has gone about playing against some of the better midfielders in the competition.?

The coach said there were still plenty of lessons ahead for Sanders, but the club was willing to keep working with him in taking his game to the next level.

?We won?t ever suck the creative licence or juices out of our players, but there are some clinical things in any inside mid?s makeup that they need to get right at this level.?

Asked if he will play against the Demons, Beveridge was emphatic: ?Definitely.?

READY-MADE TRIO
The Dogs specifically sought players to boost their depth and profile, which was the reason behind trading for Demons premiership player James Harmes and luckless Saint Nick Coffield, while delisted Hawk Lachie Bramble was also sought out to play a role.

?They were all we needed,? Beveridge said.

?Nick hasn?t meant a beat, with his soft tissue and his knee (of the past), he has trained every session. Lachie came in after a shoulder reco ? over the last three weeks to a month he has done everything physically as far as his shoulder goes.

??Harmesy? was stiff. He was crook at the start and then we had a really good camp and he got crook at the end of the camp. Now he is coming up to the surface again and I loved the way he went about it (last Friday against Hawthorn).?

NEW ASSISTANTS
The Bulldogs have had plenty of change in their off-field team in recent seasons.

?I am pretty proud of the fact that our program is sophisticated, we have had a lot of people come in and contribute,? he said. ?We?ve had a lot of changes.

?We?ve had guys headhunted out of a good environment ? Steven King, Ash Hansen, Daniel Giansiracusa ? it is what happens.

?The new guys (this pre-season) are doing a terrific job, with the calibre of the four. ?Ego? (Matthew Egan) being one of them ? ?Pratty? (Daniel Pratt), and obviously Jarryn Geary and Alex Johnson coming in.

?They have all had very different experiences and can be leaned on in their own skill set area and they are all going well.?

OUT OF CONTRACT
Beveridge knows the Bulldogs have an off-field challenge of locking away three out of contract stars this season ? restricted free agent Tim English, emerging key forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and injured midfielder Bailey Smith.

But he says he will leave that up to the club?s list and recruiting manager Sam Power.

?I totally leave it to Sam (Power),? he said. ?All I can do is make sure that it doesn?t cloud my Judgement. I think about it, but I can?t let it affect our decision-making.

?We?re hoping it will work itself out.?

English is the hottest free agent in the pool this season and will attract huge interest from rival clubs, including the two West Australian clubs.

Ugle-Hagan said late last year he was keen to stay with the Dogs, while plenty of attention will come on Smith as he recovers from a knee reconstruction.

LIBBA THE LEADER
Tom Liberatore?s evolution as a footballer ? and a game-day leader ? has been one of the great Bulldogs stories.

His return to the leadership group as vice-captain this season is a fitting reward for a player who has matured significantly in recent years.

?I think it is just a good example of a young man who has grown up,? Beveridge said.

?He cares a lot about the club and the people in it.

?In his really difficult, through his knee rehabs, there were times when there was a chance he wouldn?t play the next year.

?He just couldn?t strike the balance between what he needed to do. He and I had some really frank conversations about that.?

He said the fact that Libba was now a father, to son Oscar, and held such a respected place within the Dogs? group was a credit to the work he had put into his game and his life.

?For him to be in the place he is now, with a young fellow Oscar, being a father, is great.

?Those knees might be ticking, that?s the problem. But hopefully he can continue to hang in there, he is playing some really good footy.?

LOBB v DARCY
How many talls can the Bulldogs play?

Tim English, Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan are locks, so it could come down to a head-to-head situation between veteran Rory Lobb and young gun Sam Darcy.

Beveridge doesn?t see it as simplistic as that.

He also knows that Lobb is a mature big man, while Darcy is entering his third season with only limited exposure after battling with his body.

?Everyone is comparing them, because they are 207cm and 208cm, and they play similar roles, but you have to remember Rory is a mature player who is seasoned,? Beveridge said.

?He would play 120 minutes (of a game) if he could, whereas Sam is probably ready for about 80 minutes.

?We are talking about guys at totally different ends of the spectrum.?

Asked if they can all play in the same side, Beveridge said: ?Ultimately they can, but we are not sure if the two of them and Aaron, Jamarra and Tim can all play in the same side. It didn?t quite work last year.

?If they all play, someone like Rhylee West, Cody Weightman or Laitham Vandermeer would have moved out.?

$80M REDEVELOPMENT
The Bulldogs are hoping the $80m redevelopment of the Whitten Oval can play a role in their revival.

Beveridge always told the players that the past obstacles in the way ? including training for a time at Skinner Reserve in Braybrook while the redevelopment was going on ? had to be managed, but he knows a return to their home base should help in numerous ways.

?I have heard the players talk about it; I have heard the staff talk about it,? he said.

?It doesn?t matter how much you raise your chin and say we are better than this to let it affect us, I have no doubt that it did.

?Hopefully this (Whitten Oval) doesn?t become too comfortable.?

The Bulldogs have a stated aim of reaching 60,000 members this season, which the coach said would be a fitting reward for all the effort so many people have put into the club over the years.

When he took over as coach in late 2014, the club had just over 30,000 members. If the Dogs reach their target, it would mean the membership tally had doubled in a decade.

?It?s taken a collective to create momentum at the football club,? he said.

?It?s something we should be proud of, even for a target of 60,000 (members) to be considered absolutely achievable compared to say 2014, that?s a significant thing.

?I often think about (former president) Peter Gordon around the redevelopment and the lobbying of the state government, and the timing around this being completed when other clubs are still trying to get theirs off the ground.

?The philanthropy of a lot of people has helped keep the club afloat and now they must be so proud of how healthy it is.?

CONCUSSION
Having coached Liam Picken and Marcus Adams, who had their careers cut short by concussion, Beveridge has always been mindful of the impact of head knocks and collisions.

?We?ve always had a level of care at ground level and in the air at training,? he said. ?That is not to say something won?t go wrong. it did the other week with Bailey Williams and Aiden O?Driscoll and it was a nasty one.

?So you can?t eliminate the risk, but you can mitigate it, which we do here at the footy club pretty well. Most of us who have played at the level have got our own horror stories or experiences ? and some of us have been affected and others haven?t.

?That?s the hard thing to process each time it happens. You think ?what does it mean for one young man compared to another??.

But he isn?t convinced a reduction of interchange would make a difference, as four-time premiership Leigh Matthews said this week.

?I am not sure whether fatigue in the game helps,? he said. ?It becomes clumsy and maybe more exposed ? there is always a counter to everything.?

But he does concede the game is ?quicker than ever ? and it might be going up a notch or two this year?.

Beveridge, 53, is about to enter his 10th season as Bulldogs coach and is closing in on what would be a record he never imagined.

He has coached the Bulldogs on 206 occasions; just 22 games short of the most games as coach record held by the legendary Ted Whitten (228 games).

As much as an honour that would be for him, he isn?t thinking that far ahead. His sights are solely set on March 17, and the round 1 clash with Melbourne.

Asked if he still loved coaching, Beveridge said: ?Absolutely I do. Pre-seasons, for me, are huge projects. It?s like an adventure playground, bringing all your people together and starting the journey, and when you get in season, it is thrilling.?

Western Bulldogs memberships are now on sale! Sign up today!

Tel: 1300 GO DOGS (46 36 47)

[bornadog]

Love Bevo.

[ledge]

That’s a very good article on how Bevo thinks and you can see why he has coached so long.
The Smith thing is still kept quiet which leads me to suspect the club was right.
We needed new ideas and there is just something that leads me to believe there is something in him being ill too . In the fact Bevo says Smith is doing well, That seems a comment that was random.

Definitely pressure for him to perform this year though.

[GVGjr]

I'm glad he mentioned the Tent.

[ledge]

I'm glad he mentioned the Tent.

It was the biggest most important thing in the article, personally should have been more about it and how it won the flag and is still a much needed part of the club going forward .
Were you approached about it by Jackson ?

[Glove38]

I love how Bevo says nothing all pre-season and then an article like this drops. From memory he has a bit of a history doing this with Robbo? Wonder if the Herald-Sun focus is just because they are still the biggest footy media player in town or because they are Damo's nemesis. He spends a disproportionate amount of his time on the Sounding Board slagging off Robbo and the Herald-Sun.
I suspect it's probably the former with the added benefit of giving Damo the finger.

[ledge]

I love how Bevo says nothing all pre-season and then an article like this drops. From memory he has a bit of a history doing this with Robbo? Wonder if the Herald-Sun focus is just because they are still the biggest footy media player in town or because they are Damo's nemesis. He spends a disproportionate amount of his time on the Sounding Board slagging off Robbo and the Herald-Sun.
I suspect it's probably the former with the added benefit of giving Damo the finger.

Damo and Morris have whitten oval turned off on Google maps.
You will never see either of them standing out the front doing a story.

[bornadog]

Bevo on SEN with Whatetly tomorrow

[Glove38]

Bevo on SEN with Whatetly tomorrow

Is that our membership day where we have someone on each segment?

Either way looking forward to hearing it.

Might be why the big article came out over the weekend, gives the Bevo the time to manage the messaging and addresses some of the point Gerard would have wanted to focus on tomorrow. He will still go there, but Bevo is now on the record and it will be easier for him to move on to this year's objectives.