Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge must figure out how to fix his team’s poor goalkicking conversion
Luke Beveridge has coached 96 games at the Bulldogs without a solution to one critical problem. Can he fix it? SEE THE EXCLUSIVE STATS
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Premiership coach Luke Beveridge’s forward line has long resembled the Big Bad Wolf trying to blow the third little piggy’s brick house in.
The Bulldogs huff and puff more than any other club, but simply haven’t been able to boot the goals in.
That poor conversion has left Beveridge pulling out the hairs on his chinny chin chin.
After Round 3 the Dogs have generated 200 inside 50s (No. 1 in the AFL) yet sit second-last for scores per inside 50m (38 per cent).
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Excluding the nine-goal blitz in the last quarter of Round 2, when Hawthorn’s defence mimicked the flimsy pig houses built of sticks and straw, this has been the No. 1 problem at Whitten Oval for years.
“We’ve got to find a way to score,” Beveridge said before Round 1.
“In the four years that I’ve coached we haven’t been able to piece together any uniformity.”
Beveridge — who quoted Dr Seuss at the 2017 season launch — again referenced the conversion trouble this week.
“It’s been one of our big challenges for a long period of time,” he said.
“We’re top of the table for inside 50s but have also given up the least. The differential is well and truly in our favour.”
“Creating opportunities is critical — we’d love to be able to capitalise on them.”
Outside of a “train wreck” first quarter against Gold Coast last week, the Bulldogs dominated just about all of their KPIs yet lost the match.
From 66 inside 50s they managed nine goals (13 per cent).
Compare that to Geelong connecting like Lego the week before, kicking 20 majors from 48 entries (42 per cent).
It has long been a case of territory domination undone by goalkicking capitulation.
Compounding the problems is accuracy, with the Dogs ranking in the bottom four for the past four years and failing to reach 50 per cent.
Matthew Richardson wondered if the bulk inside 50s was counter-productive, given repeat entries attract congestion.
“There’s been some of that, but there’s also been a lot of open field and open 50m opportunities we’ve just squandered,” Beveridge said.
A rotating forward line hasn’t helped.
Jake Stringer left, Liam Picken retired, Zaine Cordy returned to defence while Tory Dickson and Tom Boyd have been injured.
Billy Gowers’ return of 26 goals last year was the most in 2017-18.
Cats coach Chris Scott yearned for forward cohesion this year and so he settled on a new-look and, importantly, durable mix.
With Aaron Naughton and Josh Schache starting to grow around the energetic Gowers, so should the forward chemistry.
Marcus Bontempelli has been the main target since 2016, and the Dogs have scored from a healthy 40.5 per cent of the 173 times they’ve kicked to him.
The best key forwards — Tom Hawkins, Josh Kennedy, Jack Riewoldt and Buddy Franklin — boast about 45 per cent and that’s the challenge for the likes of Boyd (30.6 per cent), Schache (37.5) and Naughton (30.2).
If the Dogs can cash in on supply then Beveridge would’ve created a monster. And everyone will be afraid of the Big Bad Wolf again.
Originally published as Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge must figure out how to fix his team’s poor goalkicking conversion
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