Usually, AFL coaches do their best to avoid throwaway headlines.
But when it comes to the Western Bulldogs travelling to Geelong to face their former star Bailey Smith on Thursday night, coach Luke Beveridge could not resist the urge.
Coach Luke Beveridge with star midfielder Bailey Smith in 2022.Credit: AFL Photos
“There’s going to be a pretty big crowd, and I won’t say it,” Beveridge started out before stopping himself short.
But ultimately, the 2016 premiership coach could not hold back.
“It’s taken the Bulldogs to go down there, for them [Geelong] to almost pack out their stadium. So I don’t know what that means for Baz,” Beveridge said with a wry smile.
Of course, Beveridge was having a lighthearted dig at his former pupil – another return salvo following Smith’s crack at the Bulldogs’ crowd-pulling power three weeks ago when comparing life at the Cats.
“Not getting that at Ballarat,” Smith said about the Bulldogs playing before 5000 people at Mars Stadium compared to the 82,000 who had watched the Cats beat Collingwood by three points at the MCG on the same day.
Beveridge knew what he had done. “I know what the headline is going to be now,” he said on Wednesday morning during his press conference at the Kennel.
But that’s where the jibes started and ended. Beveridge was quick to point out that the Bulldogs would not be distracted by a potential Smith circus.
“I think I said the other day that’s a bit of by-play, you know, the theatre attached to the game around Bailey being a Geelong player now,” he said.
Bailey Smith has made a big impact since joining Geelong.Credit: Getty Images
“That doesn’t come into discussions with our preparation, with our planning tactically and the way we build ourselves up for the game.
“We don’t go out of our way to, I suppose, antagonise and get under anyone’s skin unnecessarily.
“There’s obviously a combative aspect, and there’s a verbal aspect of the game that exists every week no matter who you play.
“So that won’t be any different than it usually is. I’m not sure you’ll detect anything other than what you normally see, and if you do, then I think we’ll all be interested to know afterwards why that happened.”
Beveridge said he did not expect any kickback or booing from the Bulldogs army. “Our supporters love Bailey. He’s a 100-game player [at this club],” he said.
“So, hopefully, you know, he just falls … well, I shouldn’t say that. I was going to go down the father- son, father-daughter journey, but I’ll just leave that alone.
“[GMHBA Stadium] is going to be packed with Geelong people, I don’t think they are allowing Western Bulldogs people in there, so we’ll have to make our own noise.”
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