Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he’s “blind” to the external criticism on him and speculation around his future, adamant he doesn’t feel he’s under the most pressure since joining the club.
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 Hawthorn – the Dogs’ fourth defeat from their past five games – was delayed until Thursday.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Beveridge said he didn’t feel “any less or anymore” pressure, despite some external calls for a coaching change amid his side’s 3-5 start to the season.
Beveridge said the number of people who’d reached out to him gave him an inkling he was the “centre of attention” this week, but stressed he was focused on showing his players and coaching staff he was in “the right place” to lead a Dogs turnaround.
“I’m probably blind or oblivious to it (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.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is adamant he will stick to a makeshift key defensive pairing of Rory Lobb and Buku Khamis in Saturday’s crucial clash against Carlton.
Beveridge said he was unlikely to recall specialist backman Alex Keath as a late inclusion as the Bulldogs gamble on the Blues withdrawing one of the talls named on Thursday night.
Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow and in-form ruckman Tom De Koning are both battling soreness, but Carlton counterpart Michael Voss said on Friday he expected them both to play.
It would leave the Bulldogs with just Lobb, Khamis and 191cm recruit Nick Coffield against a three-pronged Blues forward line, with Marc Pittonet taking the No.1 ruck duties.
The Marvel Stadium clash is the first of a gruelling three-game stretch where the Bulldogs must win at least one game to keep their finals hopes alive, with away trips to Geelong and Sydney to follow.
Beveridge said his side would keep a “narrow focus” despite the ramifications for the top eight as he defended the decision to leave out Keath five weeks after he tore his hamstring in the loss to Brisbane.
“He’s going to play (VFL). We just felt that coming off his injury and the way he went out of the game, it’s really risky,” Beveridge said.
“We need to make sure that everyone who’s playing this week at the start of the game is definitely going to get through, barring any significant mishaps.
‘When you consider the challenge of playing on their key forwards and how prolific they’ve been over the last few years, we took a pretty commonsense approach to it in the end.”
The Bulldogs coach thought Carlton would withdraw one of its talls closer to the game and said he was unlikely to adjust his own side.
“Our history has been that we haven’t made any late changes, we haven’t sort of postured to do that,” Beveridge said.
“The way they’ve picked their emergencies, with a midfielder and two small forwards, we sort of anticipate that one of their bigs is coming out … otherwise they’re quite tall in their front end.
