Luke Beveridge faces tough task to lift Western Bulldogs after ‘devastating’ loss to St Kilda

A SHATTERED Western Bulldogs must rapidly regroup to take on Geelong on Friday night after a horror injury toll and upset loss to St Kilda.

Luke Beveridge shattered after the loss to St Kilda.

A SHATTERED Western Bulldogs must rapidly regroup to take on Geelong on Friday night after Mitch Wallis suffered a devastating double break to his leg and Jack Redpath injured his anterior cruciate ligament in Saturday night’s 15-point loss to St Kilda.

The Bulldogs were left with only one fit player on the bench after Wallis was injured in the last term, with Redpath and Dale Morris (hamstring) already out of the contest.

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Wallis was in extraordinary pain as he was taken from the field but what made matters more distressing for the Bulldogs players was that he was still in the rooms as they came from the field.

Many were visibly upset at seeing their teammate in agony before he was taken to hospital.

Luke Beveridge on the bench after the Bulldogs were ravaged by injury.

“It is a devastating night for many reasons,” coach Luke Beveridge said.

“Mitch has broken both bones in his leg, his tibia and his fibula, so it is obviously a very serious injury.

“There is obviously a lot of emotion in the room down there and also Jack has done his ACL.

“It is a bit like earlier in the year when Bob (Murphy) went down with his (knee) and even when ‘Prudds’ (Josh Prudden) did his at VFL level, the results and the game almost pale into insignificance.

“I think at all football clubs players are tight and ours is no different. They are really hurting and feeling it. They are obviously disappointed about the loss, but they are really feeling it for Mitch and his family and also ‘Red’ and his family.”

The Bulldogs lost Dale Morris at half-time, then had to deal with two issues involving Redpath. He limped off earlier in the game with a jarred knee before managing to return to the fray.

Then early in the final term the Bulldogs forward went down clutching his knee, but Beveridge said the incidents were completely different.

“All the clinical tests showed that his knee was stable and he just had a jarring incident,” he said.

“The one where he has done his ACL is one of those innocuous change of direction type movements.”

Jack Redpath is helped off after injuring his knee against St Kilda.

Beveridge said it would be a significant challenge to get his players ready to take on the Cats.

“It’s a traumatic night and it will test us,” he said. “We’ve got a Friday nighter against the Cats so we haven’t got a lot of time to process it. I don’t think the players will be ready (on Sunday) or Monday.”

“By Tuesday, when we walk out of the building at the club, we’ve got to be ready to move on and meet the challenges ahead. We have put too much work in to let it fall by the wayside.

“How receptive to that kind of message our players are tonight I couldn’t tell you, but it is my challenge, it is all our people’s challenge to pick them up and look on the bright side.”

Beveridge said the club was hopeful Morris’ injury was not serious, but was unable to say whether he would be right to take on the Cats.

Originally published as Luke Beveridge faces tough task to lift Western Bulldogs after ‘devastating’ loss to St Kilda