AFL Daily: Luke Beveridge takes aim at journalist for being too critical of Tom Boyd
The AFL journalist who believes he was the target of Luke Beveridge's "black soul" comments doesn't exactly know why the Western Bulldogs coach has an issue with him, saying it was "sad" he used Tom Boyd's retirement to to “leverage his hatred” of him.
2 min read
May 17, 2019 - 7:04PM
Melbourne is ready for another shot at West Coast. Picture: AAP Images
AFL journalist Damian Barrett believes he was the target of Luke Beveridge's "black soul" comments doesn't exactly know why the Western Bulldogs coach has an issue with him.
An emotional Beveridge said yesterday he would never forgive a journalist who was too hard on Tom Boyd because of "how black that soul is".
Barrett said he believed those comments were aimed at him.
“I would imagine that they are directed at me. I still don’t have any idea (why),” Barrett said on Triple M on Friday night.
“About a year ago, when Luke also used a Tom Boyd issue and moment to leverage his hatred of me ... it’s wrong, it’s unfortunate and it’s sad, I think, that Luke Beveridge needs to use Tom Boyd moments to leverage the hatred that he has.”
Boyd, who arrived at the Dogs on a multi-million contract and helped deliver a drought-breaking premiership in 2016, retired on Thursday as he continues to deal with mental health issues, a struggle that has mostly taken place behind closed doors.
But Beveridge – who said he never measured Boyd's worth on the size of his pay packet – was unforgiving during his press conference of what he saw as unfair attacks on the young forward.
"There's no doubt at times that I thought there were people (who were) too hard and too keen to scrutinise, to drag him down, you probably know who they are – one in particular – and that just shows the sheer lack of conscience and drive to be nasty," he said.
"That will never be forgiven by anyone at our football club. That's a real shame.
"That's a real choice that a certain journalist might make and it's just a window into that person's soul and how black that soul is.
"That's always been really, really disappointing.
"(I've) continually defended him (Boyd) and stood up for him and supported him, and even when we knew internally things weren't right there was no way we were going to let anyone know the struggles that he was going through, he was doing everything he could to play footy for our football club.
"There's no doubt that that was part of it, it gave nasty individuals leverage to go down that track."
Tom Boyd with Luke Beveridge.
Barrett said Beveridge's antipathy with him may date back to the 2015 elimination final when allegations emerged Bulldogs defender Michael Talia had leaked inside information of his team's game plan to brother and Adelaide defender Daniel.
“The issue that Luke has with me predates anything to do with Tom Boyd. It goes back to the Michael Talia and Daniel Talia situation in 2015, and it may extend into the 2016 season when he and others at the football club lied about why Tom Boyd was playing VFL football at the time,” Barrett said.
“And that related to him having a bar room incident with a teammate, in Zaine Cordy, where a fist or something was thrown to the point where Zaine had a mark under his eye, and he’d been disciplined.
“The club had conveniently lied about that moment to me personally, and the general football public, but then came clean on it once they were called out.
“If that’s what he’s relating to, because that’s the only comments I’ve made about Tom Boyd ... I’m in two minds as to whether to just leave it or to try and explain it.
“I think it’s sad and unfortunate that for the second time in a year, Luke Beveridge has gone down this path, using Tom Boyd as the lynch(pin).”
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Updates
Suns want Dew for the long haul
Chris Vernuccio
Jon Ralph
Gold Coast believes it has found the first long-term coach of its short history, with Stuart Dew its key weapon in retaining its band of young first-round draft picks.
Suns chief executive Mark Evans yesterday lauded Dew’s strong relationships with players, saying the Gold Coast players are “showing a lot of heart and passion for this coach and club”.
Dew has won just seven of 30 games in charge of the Suns but with a 3-5 win-loss record this year there are significant signs he is changing the culture of the ninth-year club.
Dew is not yet halfway into an initial three-season contract but a summer extension would seem a certainty given his impact so far.
Guy McKenna lasted four AFL seasons as well as the club’s formative pre-AFL years, with Rodney Eade remaining just short of three seasons.
The Suns’ new mantra is not to get ahead of itself or make false promises to fans but Evans said Dew’s changes had been profound.
“Everything suggests he is going to be a very good long term coach,” he said ahead of Saturday’s clash against Port Adelaide.
“I think the approach has been to be just completely honest around where we see ourselves and what the position is going forward,” he said.
“Stuey is refreshingly honest and refreshingly open about what we need to do to get better.
He has got this incredible astuteness around the game but his strongest asset is his ability to form relationships with people.
“When you consider where we have been as a club over the last few years that’s a pretty important part of retaining players and committing them to the cause.”
Roos defend sore Polec'
Chris Vernuccio
Jared Polec has battled soreness and scrutiny in his start to life at North Melbourne but the Kangaroos are confident their prized recruit is building towards his best. Polec will get his first taste of playing in Hobart on Saturday night when the Kangaroos host fellow bottom-four side Sydney at Blundstone Arena.
The wingman was coming off a career-best season when he departed Port Adelaide to sign a lucrative five-year contract with the Roos. Eight rounds in, Polec has been solid but not spectacular while the Roos have performed well below expectations to sit on just two wins.
North remains comfortable Polec will deliver a strong return on investment, having been restricted at training over the past month. “He’s been a little bit stiff the last few weeks,” assistant coach Leigh Tudor said. “He hasn’t been able to train a lot. He’s had a few little niggles that have held him back a little bit. “But he puts his hand up every week, he wants to get out there and he’s trying to improve himself. “He’s done some really good things for us so we’re happy with the way he’s going.”
Polec was one of several off-season recruits expected to help lift North back into finals contention.
Teams shock: Cats make late change
Al Paton
Geelong has made another late change – at least this one is a day before the game.
Charlie Constable – who was dropped last week then played as a late inclusion before being dropped again last night – has been reinstated in the starting 18.
He will play against the Bulldogs tomorrow, replacing Tom Atkins, who was named last night after suffering a leg injury last weekend.
Sam Simpson has been added to the Cats' emergencies.
Saints won't rush Hannebery
Al Paton
Dan Hannebery might think he’s ready to return to football, but Saints coach Alan Richardson says his marquee recruit will be held back until his body is “bulletproof”.
Hannebery, who has struggled with hamstring and calf issues since he arrived at Moorabbin at the end of last season , returned to training this week and is likely to be ready to play VFL in a month.
“He trained almost fully, he didn’t do the match simulation, but that’s heading the right way,” Richardson said.
“We want to make sure that we really bulletproof his body. It will frustrate him. If he was answering that question he’d say two weeks (before he can play), possibly even one week.
“We’ll hold him back a little bit to make sure he’s right, but that’s exciting for us.”
Jimmy Webster (hand) joins a growing list of sidelined Saints that also includes star midfielder Jack Steven, No.1 pick Paddy McCartin and gun defenders Jake Carlisle and Dylan Roberton.
Webster may require more surgery on his hand.
“He was right last week, it just hasn’t pulled up the way we’d like. He’ll see the experts. It’s the hand that he initially had surgery on last year, so there’s still a little bit of uncertainty,” Richardson said.
“Scans aren’t showing much but … there’ll be a bit more investigation into that.”
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he will never forgive a journalist who was too hard on Tom Boyd.
Boyd arrived at the Dogs on a multi-million contract and helped deliver a drought-breaking premiership in 2016, but struggled to match that form in the two seasons since.
He retired yesterday as he continues to deal with mental health issues, a struggle that has mostly taken place behind closed doors. But an emotional Beveridge – who said he never measured Boyd's worth on the size of his pay packet – was unforgiving during his press conference today of what he saw as unfair attacks on the young forward.
"There's no doubt at times that I thought there were people (who were) too hard and too keen to scrutinise, to drag him down, you probably know who they are – one in particular – and that just shows the sheer lack of conscience and drive to be nasty," he said.
"That will never be forgiven by anyone at our football club. That's a real shame.
"That's a real choice that a certain journalist might make and it's just a window into that person's soul and how black that soul is.
"That's always been really, really disappointing.
"(I've) continually defended him (Boyd) and stood up for him and supported him, and even when we knew internally things weren't right there was no way we were going to let anyone know the struggles that he was going through, he was doing everything he could to play footy for our football club.
"There's no doubt that that was part of it, it gave nasty individuals leverage to go down that track."
Watch Bevo's withering blast below:
'Black soul': Dogs coach takes aim at journalist
Al Paton
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he will never forgive a journalist who was too hard on Tom Boyd.
Boyd arrived at the Dogs on a multi-million contract and helped deliver a drought-breaking premiership in 2016, but struggled to match that form in the two seasons since.
He retired yesterday as he continues to deal with mental health issues, a struggle that has mostly taken place behind closed doors. But an emotional Beveridge – who said he never measured Boyd's worth on the size of his pay packet – was unforgiving during his press conference today of what he saw as unfair attacks on the young forward.
"There's no doubt at times that I thought there were people (who were) too hard and too keen to scrutinise, to drag him down, you probably know who they are – one in particular – and that just shows the sheer lack of conscience and drive to be nasty," he said.
"That will never be forgiven by anyone at our football club. That's a real shame.
"That's a real choice that a certain journalist might make and it's just a window into that person's soul and how black that soul is.
"That's always been really, really disappointing.
"(I've) continually defended him (Boyd) and stood up for him and supported him, and even when we knew internally things weren't right there was no way we were going to let anyone know the struggles that he was going through, he was doing everything he could to play footy for our football club.
"There's no doubt that that was part of it, it gave nasty individuals leverage to go down that track."
Watch Bevo's withering blast below:
Late change: Crouch out for Crows
Al Paton
Adelaide midfield star Matt Crouch has failed a fitness test and been ruled out of the clash with recharged Brisbane at The Gabba on Saturday afternoon.
The club revealed on Friday morning the 24-year-old was unable to fully recover from a corked hip suffered in Showdown 46.
Veteran Bryce Gibbs, who missed the Showdown with back spasms, will replace Crouch in the side.
The third-ranked Crows (5-3) on Thursday kept Crouch in the match 22 — despite his absence from the second half of last Saturday’s Showdown and limited training this week — to give him every chance of passing Friday's test while making one unforced change.
Teenager Chayce Jones returns to the Adelaide line-up after missing the past three AFL matches. Kept out of the Round 5 clash with Gold Coast by concussion, Jones replaces half-forward Riley Knight.
The Crows on Friday added Myles Poholke to the emergency list alongside Knight.
Marlion Pickett’s manager has urged an AFL club to have the courage to select a player he says is a different person to the one who spent time in jail.
WAFL star Pickett spent time in jail in his teens for a string of offences including burglaries but has been a mature-aged phenomenon for South Fremantle, winning the past two club best-and-fairests.
See which clubs are interested in Pickett plus contract news on Nakia Cockatoo, the latest mid-season draft whispers and how the Dogs will spend their new $2 million war chest in this week's moneyball column: http://bit.ly/30s9hoQ
How will Tigers cover Nank?
Al Paton
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has backed young ruckman Ivan Soldo to fill in for injured big man Toby Nankervis.
Soldo will play his ninth AFL game – and first this year – against Hawthorn on Sunday, replacing Nankervis who will miss up to eight weeks with a thigh injury.
"We feel he's got the capacity to play that role consistently, and then we've also got a young up-and-coming ruckman in Coleman-Jones who we're really excited about as well," Hardwick said today.
"The opportunity will be presented to Soldo first and foremost, and hopefully we can give him a good run at it. We feel, for his footy to go forward, he needs the opportunity to develop in the number one ruck role."
Hardwick also praised first-year player Noah Balta, who was thrown into the ruck last week against Fremantle when Nankervis was injured.
"He's a beast, he's incredibly athletic. I thought he was terrific for a young kid in really his first year of footy, to say, 'listen, you've got 80 per cent of the ruck duties'," Hardwick said.
"I'd actually be happy if he got a shin guard at some stage. He hasn't got one, he seems to think it's a sign of weakness, but we'll let him keep continuing to do what he does."
The Tigers coach said the club would be extra cautious with skipper Trent Cotchin, who has pencilled in Round 11 as a return from a hamstring injury he suffered in Round 3.
"He's running at 90 to 95 per cent, so he's thereabouts."
– Nick Smart
A raw Luke Beveridge fought back tears this morning when talking about the retirement of Tom Boyd, who he declared will always be remembered as a “Bulldogs legend.”
Boyd, 23, announced his decision yesterday, saying the physical and emotional stress of playing had taken a toll and he no longer enjoyed the game.
“I think we didn’t at the end of 2016 we thought the footy world was Tom’s oyster and we didn’t see the black dog creep up on him,” Beveridge said.
“I personally thank Tom for his contribution. He’s always be remembered as a Bulldogs legend now.”
Anthony Seibold says the pressures of coaching the NRL’s flagship club had taken a toll on him and his family as well as slanderous rumour mongering as he opened up on his Brisbane exit.
