Under-fire coach blocks out calls for change
Embattled Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he’s “blind” to the heavy external criticism that has piled up in the wake of the shock loss to Hawthorn, adamant he feels under no more pressure than he has been at other times during his 10 seasons at the helm.
The Bulldogs cancelled a training session on Tuesday so Beveridge could bring his players together at a Bayside beach, while the review of the shock seven-point loss to the Hawks was delayed until Thursday.
The defeat was the Dogs’ fourth in five games and while the premiership winning coach conceded he could feel he was the “centre of attention”, he remained unbothered by mounting criticism of his performance.
Support for the coach has been strong from inside the Bulldogs, including president Kyle Watson-Wheeler and new football boss Matthew Egan, who said some of the criticism of Beveridge had been “aggressive and personal”.
Beveridge said he felt well supported by the Bulldogs despite external calls for a coaching change and was focused on showing his players and coaching staff he was in “the right place” to lead a turnaround of their 3-5 start to the season.
“I’m probably blind or oblivious to (the external criticism) a little bit – what I do notice is how many supportive and great people come my way to express their care and their love sometimes, and I think it’s during times like these where you appreciate the goodness of people,” he said.
“(There were) probably periods when I was in the infancy of senior coaching life where I was agitated a little bit more than I get these days.
“As I said a bit earlier, it’s just really important I don’t pay much attention to that. The opinions and the scrutiny of what I do within the football club is the most important scrutiny.
“There’s been lots of (messages), and I love the fact people want to do that, but I don’t necessarily need it. I say to my closest friends, ‘Don’t text me, don’t call me, I’m OK’.
“I’m in a really good place, and I’m really looking forward to this next challenge.”
The playing future of champion midfielder Tom Liberatore is another dark cloud hanging over Whitten Oval, with the 31-year-old jogging on the sidelines during Thursday’s training session as he tries to recover from a fourth concussion in 22 games.
Beveridge said he was unsure of a report that suggested the AFL had taken over the management of Liberatore’s recovery.
“I haven’t had any news on that, but I know it takes them a while to convene those panels, so if that is the case, it remains to be seen when that may be,” he said.
“(Liberatore has) come in (Thursday) morning – in regards to the concussion, I’m just totally leaving that to our medical professionals … I can’t really give an opinion on how he’s going. I ask him, he says he’s OK … we just hope he’s going to be fine.
“Great to see him here, and he will do his best to convince everyone that he’s going to be OK, but ultimately there’s more to play out.”
Beveridge said he was yet to decide on a possible recall for Caleb Daniel or No.6 pick Ryley Sanders in Liberatore’s place but wanted the Bulldogs to be “well represented” at the coalface without their key ball winner.
