Mark Robinson: Luke Beveridge’s contract and his Western Bulldogs future

There’s a blueprint there – but the Bulldogs are still dillydallying over the future of their most successful coach. And there’s a big hazard sign in play, writes MARK ROBINSON.

The blueprint for the Western Bulldogs and Luke Beveridge has been set out by the Brisbane Lions and Chris Fagan. That is to reappoint Beveridge for another 12 months and get on with it.

In what is the most intriguing off-season coaching decision, it’s approaching December and the Dogs are still dillydallying over the future of their most successful coach.

The club says there are reasons – most pressing being that president Kylie Watson-Wheeler is overseas, football director Luke Darcy is on holidays, as is Beveridge, who recently lost his father, John.

It will be Watson-Wheeler, who was appointed president in December 2020, Darcy and chief executive Ameet Bains who will decide Beveridge’s future and, it must be noted, all three have been staunch Beveridge supporters.

The trio has three available options:

1. Extend Beveridge’s deal for a further 12 months, meaning he is contracted until the end of 2026;

2. Extend him for a further two or three years;

3. Go into the 2025 season without an extension.

Luke Beveridge hugs Tom Liberatore after the win over GWS in round 24. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

Option two seems unlikely after 10 seasons with Beveridge, while both the first two options would cause consternation if either was chosen. But option three is the most hazardous.

In what will be the club’s 100-year celebration, the fear will be the death-riding of Beveridge by media people if the Dogs lose, say, two or three games in succession.

Beveridge endured it in 2024 when his team started 3-5, only to have the coach mastermind yet another superb salvage job. The Bulldogs won six of their final seven home-and-away games before being below competitive in an elimination final against Hawthorn.

If Beveridge is coaching for his future in 2025 by the mere fact he is not contracted for 2026, it will be an agenda item more often than not.

The Bulldogs like to say they ignore the “noise” coming from people who they say have never coached or been the figurehead of an organisation, but the fact is it can’t be ignored.

It’s why Bains got on the offensive last season.

“There is an undue level of focus on him (Beveridge) by a couple of journalists in particular, which is their prerogative – but it feeds the media cycle a bit more than it should,’’ Bains said in April.

“Generally speaking, the (news) cycle dictates whoever is underperforming cops a bit of heat. But subjectively speaking from our end, the personalisation of it and the way it’s directed at the coach, at times, is over the top.’’

Beveridge and Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler. Picture: Michael Klein

Will the club extend Beveridge’s contract? Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The pressure rating on Beveridge ahead of next season is, to borrow the summer fire ban rating, high to extreme.

Other coaches hover in the same category: Matthew Nicks and Ken Hinkley are there together, despite one of them not having coached a final in five years and the other making a preliminary final last season, and finals in four of the past five years.

Simon Goodwin, Justin Longmuir, Michael Voss, Brad Scott, Ross Lyon … they all have levels of pressures to either improve, respond or perform.

Beveridge’s Dogs need to improve, respond and perform.

Last season, their best football saw them beat Carlton, Geelong, Sydney and the Giants in the last month and a half, but the ladder doesn’t lie – they finished seventh.

So, back to Beveridge’s contract.

You’re either a Beveridge fan or Beveridge doubter, and I’m in the former camp, although like many observers there’s a curiosity about whether he will maintain his three key forward set-up next season.

But the contract conundrum comes first.

If the Bulldogs’ faith in Beveridge is at a level to which we are led to believe, the contract extension is a no-brainer. Give him two years with his new-ish coaching group and with a list that clearly has scope to threaten.

If they don’t extend him, then it will be open season on the coach and the club from round 1.

It’s hardly how you’d want to celebrate your 100th birthday.

Originally published as Mark Robinson: Luke Beveridge’s contract and his Western Bulldogs future