Freshly re-signed Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says his side must play an “appealing” brand of football to avoid losing primetime fixtures such as Good Friday in the future.
North Melbourne will continue to host the Good Friday game, but the AFL replaced the Bulldogs with big-drawing Carlton for the 2023 clash after a modest 32,162 people turned up to this year’s match.
It is the second time in five years the league stripped the marquee timeslot from them, with Beveridge pointing to the reality of the respective fan bases: the Blues boasted 88,776 members in 2022 compared to the Dogs’ 50,941.
Tom Liberatore (right) and the Bulldogs won’t play on Good Friday next year.Credit:AFL Photos
“The Good Friday game was a good opportunity for a great cause to be involved in but, look, what can you do? The AFL made a decision, and you just move on. It’s unfortunate,” Beveridge said.
“But our ambition is to play a brand of footy that is appealing, that wins games of footy, that’s attractive to our supporters first and foremost – and then the broadcast and the AFL as a peak body that wants to make money.
“I think the decision to do it was probably broadly made around the dollar, so we’ve got to understand that and work out that if Carlton are going to get another 5000 or 10,000 through the gate, we’ve just got to suck that up.
“As we move into the future, (we need to) continue to have that appeal, so we’re the club that gets an extra 5000 or 10,000 to the game.”
The Bulldogs conceded a 22-point second-half lead to bow out of the first week of finals to Fremantle in September, a year after comprehensively losing a grand final to Melbourne that they led by 19 points in the third quarter.
Ex-Docker Rory Lobb is one of the Dogs’ new weapons.Credit:Getty Images
They added Liam Jones and Rory Lobb in the off-season, while losing club champion Josh Dunkley to Brisbane, and are ready to ascend the ladder again.
“Year-on-year, we just aim to be the best team,” Beveridge said. “So that’s our objective – to push the boundaries and challenge the Geelongs, Brisbanes and Melbournes, and every other team that comes our way, and create a mystique around how well we can play.
“I’ve never shied away from that. If we’re not the best team; I always walk away disappointed. I think the players do because they really get caught up in it and believe it.
“Whether we can or not remains to be seen, but that’s where we want to go. If you don’t start with that belief; you’re going to get nowhere.”
Beveridge has inked a two-year extension that ties him to the kennel until the end of 2025, after which he will have coached the Bulldogs for 11 years. He already led the club to its second premiership in 2016 and has coached the most wins (104), finals appearances (12) and finals wins (seven), and has 43 games to go to pass Ted Whitten’s record in charge.
Beveridge insists he never considered leaving for a rival, including St Kilda, where he finished his 118-match playing career and where his father John is a recruiting legend.
“There was a time, probably before I signed my last contract, where the club was in a position to make a decision on whether to re-appoint me and keep going,” he said.
“That was about five years ago, where there were some possibilities, but ultimately, I’ve always wanted to stay here as long as I can and push the boundaries on what we can achieve and see it through.
“A lot has changed since I started, so you feel like you’ve really got your hands in the clay. I don’t want to walk away before I’ve totally expended what I can. I feel like I’m just getting started.”
“A lot has changed since I started, so you feel like you’ve really got your hands in the clay. I don’t want to walk away before I’ve totally expended what I can. I feel like I’m just getting started.”
Luke Beveridge on his Bulldogs mission
The Dogs are suddenly stacked with key-position talent after once being bereft of those types.
Usual forward Josh Bruce started his backline experiment in match simulation at Skinner Reserve on Friday, spending time on Aaron Naughton and Lobb, with Jones and Alex Keath filling the other key defensive posts.
How that situation shakes out remains to be seen, given fellow talls Ryan Gardner (wrist), Tim O’Brien (calf) and Sam Darcy (knee infection) did not take part.
Others on limited duties included Adam Treloar (ankle), as well as Cody Weightman and Lachie McNeil, who are being managed, while Rhylee West (knee) was absent but is expected to ramp up his activity post-Christmas.
Delisted ex-AFL pair Tyler Brown and Caleb Poulter played in the Bulldogs’ match simulation and are set to play for Footscray in the VFL next season.
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