In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Under-pressure Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he has no concerns over his messaging
- A second supervisor will be positioned in the AFL’s Review Centre during finals after last weekend’s Crows-Swans blunder
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said he wasn’t worried about his messaging resonating with the playing group as they head into a do-or-die meeting with reigning premiers Geelong.
But the Dogs will be without star midfielder Bailey Smithdue to illness for the final-round clash at GMHBA Stadium.
Western Bulldogs players leave the field after the loss to West Coast. Credit: Getty Images
The midfielder-turned-half-forward is out with gastro and couldn’t train with the main group this week.
Beveridge admitted supporters of the club would have felt let down by the loss to West Coast last weekend.
“I mentioned the sort of clamming-up aspect of playing not to lose rather than playing to win – and I think that [the loss] was part of it,” Beveridge said on Friday morning.
“And then that leads into the question around my messaging and my connection with our group.”
Beveridge said the Bulldogs’ list had undergone many changes across his nine-year tenure – including having only Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore who started with him almost 10 years ago – but he has no concerns that he’s not cutting through with the group.
“You’re searching for the chemistry, to reconcile with the emotion and the headspace that you’re after and I’ve got no concerns that my messaging doesn’t resonate with our group,” Beveridge said.
“But it’s my challenge to continue to prod … and explore what the right recipe is week to week and year to year.”
The Dogs must beat a depleted Cats side on Saturday in Geelong, and hope Greater Western Sydney lose their clash with Carlton on Sunday, to scrape into the finals.
Geelong will be without star forwards Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron, among others, and while that gives the Bulldogs’ opponent a “nothing to lose mentality”, Beveridge hopes his side won’t have some of the trepidation that plagued them in their seven-point loss to the Eagles.
“You’ve got to be in the headspace [to] play to win and play with some freedom and [to] bring out your best is the ongoing challenge for a group that has a bit at stake,” said Beveridge.
“The opportunity to play finals is a carrot right in front of you and sometimes I think depending on the individual you can seize up a bit around the prospect of a loss rather than the prospect of a win.
“Maybe we’ve just seized up a little bit in that regard. You can’t just go out and sing Kumbaya and just break free and play a brand of footy that isn’t accountable, but you’ve got to strike a balance.”
– Marnie Vinall
AFL moves to avoid repeat of Crows-Swans review blunder
A second supervisor will be positioned in the AFL’s Review Centre to help oversee critical calls during the finals in a bid to avoid a repeat of the debacle in Adelaide last weekend.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed on Friday a second senior official would monitor tight calls, and have a direct line to field umpires on when to hold play when the finals series begins on Thursday week.
This comes after the goal and field umpires failed to call for a review last weekend when Adelaide’s Ben Keays left-foot snap was deemed to have hit the post, when, had it gone to the ARC, video replays showed the Crows should have been awarded a goal which would have given the home team the lead with 70 seconds remaining.
“There won’t be technology [upgrade]. I’ll just repeat what I said, there is accountability for a human error, and related to that, it was a mistake from an individual that was not related to technology or to the systems,” McLachlan said on 3AW.
“We have, obviously, reviewed it from every different angle, so there will be a change – there will be a second supervisor put in the ARC to have a direct line of communication with the umpire and to help facilitate, where he can ‘hold’ it in a situation like this.
“We have put a second supervisor into the ARC which will play out in all finals, which would be decisive if there is a … call to the field umpire, as a ‘hold’, while they do a proper review, which they need somewhere around 12 to 14 seconds.”
The original supervisor will focus on the footage and replaying a score.
However, McLachlan remains wary of a delay in play, as this can give one team an unfair advantage, while also frustrating supporters.
“There are a lot of decisions to be made. People don’t want the game slowing down. That discretion needs to be used at the right time,” he said.
“They need to be very quick, say to the umpire: ‘Hold’. Hold the guy in the square, and very quickly [review the decision] because people don’t like the game being held up generally. It allows people to set up and it changes the flow of the game. That’s the process that is going to be introduced for the finals.”
The AFL spent several days reviewing the botched call, with McLachlan discussing the matter with field umpire Brett Rosebury, and the goal umpire, the latter having been stood down for the rest of the season.
Izak Rankine reacts to Adelaide’s loss to Sydney, in which a potentially match-winning goal was ruled a point.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
“I have spoken to the Swans, Jake Lloyd was underneath the post and thought it had hit the post,” McLachlan said.
“I spoke to Brett Rosebury, who was the officiating umpire, he thought where he was, it had hit the post. Clearly, it didn’t. It was a clear mistake, it would have been overturned on a review, but it was a mistake we are working to mitigate if we can, but a mistake like that is difficult.”
The Crows’ eventual one-point loss means they are no longer in the finals race. The win solidified the Swans’ spot in the top eight.
McLachlan said the goal umpire would return to senior ranks next season.
“We are supporting the goal umpire. It has been a difficult period, and of course, it is possible for next year,” he said.
“I have spoken to him. Yes, he is mortified by the decision, aware of the consequences, but, also, people make mistakes and we are supporting him, working through this.”
– Jon Pierik
