Luke Beveridge says he remains confident in the direction he is taking the team after the Western Bulldogs suffered their fourth defeat from the past five starts amid a worrying incident that saw Tom Liberatore again stumble in the middle of the ground after copping a boot to the head.
The pressure is mounting for Luke Beveridge.Credit: AFL Photos
This loss was at the hands of Hawthorn, who had only won one from their first seven matches of the season and came after Beveridge’s team kicked the opening three goals of the game within the first six minutes.
Beveridge said he thought the balance of the team was reasonable, and the planning was on the money, but he did not expect the ball to be turned over so regularly in the back half with such uncharacteristic skill errors.
The Bulldogs conceded 68 points from turnover, with 24 of those turnovers occurring in the defensive half as they lost the game by seven points. Jason Johannisen’s error from a kick in midway through the final quarter gifted the Hawks a goal and robbed the Dogs of momentum as they were charging back into the match.
“[I’m] always confident in decision-making on where you place your influence to evolve into the future and be a team and be a list full of players who can challenge up ahead. We have to find out. We can’t sit on our hands,” Beveridge said.
“We’ve got vulnerabilities like any other team and we identify them early and we make changes. I know I have been critiqued that over time but ultimately I’m a servant of the football club, a custodian of the interests.
“I want to set them up to succeed … we make considered decisions and the players understand that.”
Beveridge said he was capable of handling the focus that will come the club’s way as they remain in a slump.
“We know that unless you are winning games of footy you are always vulnerable to media scrutiny, so we just expect it. It is the nature of the industry,” Beveridge said.
“I have got a thick skin and I can deal with it but I won’t let it affect the way I care for and manage the playing group.”
The premiership coach said the team would be prodded and poked to improve, dismissing a question regarding whether the playing group were all on the same page.
“Yes, mate,” Beveridge said.
Tom Liberatore leaves the field after copping a stray boot to the face.Credit: AFL Photos
He described the morale as OK but admitted that the run of close losses at the end of last year and again this season were deflating. Losing Cody Weightman and Rhylee West also affected their forward pressure.
“We’re pretty healthy and we are undefeated at state league level. The blend in our team of experience and youth is not a bad blend but we are just not executing well enough across the spectrum,” Beveridge said.
He said a lack of consistency was leading to the close losses with the evenness of the competition meaning they could never assume a win.
“You only need to lose a handful of contests that you potentially should win, or blatantly turn the ball over like we did on an afternoon like today, and you are vulnerable,” Beveridge said.
He expressed concern over Liberatore who was cleared to continue after copping a knock early in the game but then spent several minutes lying on the ground after a boot appeared to accidentally connect with his face with just minutes remaining.
The incident came weeks after Liberatore collapsed in the middle of Marvel Stadium against Essendon but showed no signs of concussion. He missed the following week after undergoing tests to determine whether anything was behind him losing his legs.
“I haven’t really got a report or update for you but for me, for it to happen again this afternoon when it was only a couple of weeks ago the same thing happened, it’s a bigger concern than just a one-game issue for me and I think we would all be thinking that,” Beveridge said.
“Our guys will look at it. We’ll take a conservative approach [and] we will look after him.”
In welcome positive news for the Bulldogs, key forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has come to terms on a two-year extension with the club.
James Sicily was able to play out the match after an early shoulder injury.Credit: AFL Photos
Meanwhile Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell praised the resilience of first-year player Nick Watson to remain in the game after an embarrassing blunder in front of goal in the final quarter.
Mitchell said the Hawks would not have been able to get the win if he had dropped his bundle after that incident when he missed a goal from 10 metres out after receiving a handball from James Sicily.
Sicily was brave, moving into the forward line after hurting his ankle having laboured in defence as a result of a dislocated shoulder suffered in the first quarter. Mitchell said it was a strong effort from Sicily but he was backed up by Jarman Impey, who starred in defence, and Sam Frost.
Calsher Dear kicks a goal on debut for the Hawks.Credit: AFL Photos
The other highlight for the Hawks was the two goals on debut from father-son prospect Calsher Dear.
Dear, the son of the late Paul Dear, who won the 1991 Norm Smith Medal in a premiership with the Hawks, showed he belonged at the level, kicking a vital goal to extend the Hawks lead in a tight and tense last quarter.
