Mark Robinson: Luke Beveridge, the AFL’s master of salvation, has survived the pressure again

Luke Beveridge’s coaching eulogy was being written earlier this year — and not for the first time. MARK ROBINSON examines how the Bulldogs coach has defied the doubters again and made his side an unlikely premiership threat.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA – JULY 20: Luke Beveridge, Senior Coach of the Bulldogs greets a fan after the round 19 AFL match between Geelong Cats and Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium, on July 20, 2024, in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

He’s done it again Luke Beveridge.

He’s swatted away the doubters – and a potential difficult decision by the Western Bulldogs administration – by orchestrating the best three-week stretch by a team this season, and maybe the best in home-and-away for 30 years.

Turning the season on its head, Beveridge’s Bulldogs beat Carlton, Geelong and Sydney and in doing so, according to Swamp on Twitter/X, became the first team since Geelong in 1993 to play three games in a row against teams inside the top three on the ladder and win all three. The Bulldogs will say they always had complete confidence in their coach and program, but that can’t be true.

Before this stretch, they were 8-8 win-loss and if the results were reversed and the Bulldogs were 8-11 with four to play, they would’ve missed finals.

And with the club demanding improvement after the ninth-placed finish in 2023, after two off-season reviews and after a clean out of assistant coaches, a bomb-out in 2024 would’ve put pressure on Beveridge’s tenure.

The smoke has cleared regarding Luke Beveridge’s future. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

We’re not saying he would’ve been sacked, but there would’ve been discussion about whether Beveridge should be sacked.

But that won’t happen. Because Beveridge is the master of salvation.

It’s been noted before that he can mastermind his team out of a run of mediocre performances.

In 2022, the Dogs lost their first two matches and four of their first six and still played finals.

In 2021, they lost rounds 21-23 and made the grand final.

In 2020, they lost their first two matches and played finals.

In 2019, they lost four of their first six matches and then lost four of five matches through rounds 9-14 and still made finals.

This season, they Dogs were 3-5, and just a month ago was pumped by Port Adelaide over there, and they now have galloped into premiership calculations.

Asked to describe the genius of Beveridge, long-time assistant coach Rohan Smith said Beveridge’s quality was that he sees the good in people.

He doesn’t always dispense with players, Smith said.

This year it is turning lumbering forward Rory Lobb into an intercept defender. In 2016, the premiership year, he switched ageing All-Australian midfielder Matthew Boyd to halfback where Boyd won his third All-Australian. Another player, for example, was Bailey Dale, who was meandering at half-forward who then became an All-Australian halfback in 2021.

Beveridge can get a couple wrong.

Like starting Tom Liberatore at half-forward at the start of 2022.

“He just doesn’t throw people out – he tries them in different areas,” Smith said.

“He sees the good in people rather than the bad, which is the art of coaching.”

Smith said the players respond to Beveridge’s brilliant storytelling and motivation, and that the players know he always “has their back”.

He cited the recent defence of Cody Weightman on AFL360 as an example.

“If Cody was watching AFL360 the other week, Cody would break down a brick wall to play for Bevo,” Smith said. “That stuff goes around the group.”

Cody Weightman and Luke Beveridge after the Bulldogs’ round 20 win over Sydney. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

He said Beveridge was the “most wonderful person, the way he motivates, the way he cares”.

“He does not ever talk about himself, he will always worry about others before he worries about himself – and that’s why people gravitate towards him.

“Think about 2016 and getting the premiership cup. He calls up Robert Murphy. As coach, your greatest crowning glory is to lift that premiership cup with your captain and he sacrificed that for Robert Murphy. That’s the most selfless act I’ve ever seen on a footy field.”

Unless the Dogs fall in a hole in the next month – they play Melbourne on Friday night, Adelaide (away), North Melbourne (Marvel), and GWS Giants (Ballarat) – there are no worries about Beveridge coaching next year. And maybe even for a long time after that.