Bulldogs not complacent about finals as crunch games loom

A shock loss to Hawthorn last week has demanded the Western Bulldogs achieve a career first for coach Luke Beveridge to play finals.

Luke Beveridge says the Bulldogs’ finals fate is in their hands. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says the Dogs won’t “fret” over another frustrating close loss and denied there was any complacency among his players ahead of a crucial fortnight for their finals chances.

The Bulldogs will again be without line-breaking defender Jason Johannisen when they face the Eagles at Marvel Stadium on Sunday and will need to win that game as well as their round 24 clash away to Geelong to be sure of a finals berth.

Johannisen (calf) did not participate in full training at Whitten Oval on Thursday and is also in some doubt to face the Cats the week after, but Beveridge said he hoped Tom Liberatore would be available as he sits out the West Coast clash due to concussion.

A win over the Eagles this week seems more achievable than taking down the Cats in Geelong, a feat not achieved by the Bulldogs since 2003, with six losses from six trips down the highway since Beveridge took over, a fact he’s well aware of.

“We need to do something that we haven’t done in my time as coach and beat Geelong in Geelong to definitely play finals,” he said on Thursday with the Bulldogs hanging on to eighth spot on the ladder.

“It’s still in our hands, and we can’t fret over what’s just happened … we just need to take care of what we can influence and control now.”

Tom Liberatore won’t play against West Coast. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

Small Anthony Scott has left the concussion protocols and is free to face the Eagles, with the pressure on following last week’s upset loss to Hawthorn in Launceston.

It was the Bulldogs’ fourth loss in five games this season decided by less than 10 points, with the defeats to fellow contenders Sydney and GWS in the last month the most damaging to their ladder position.

“We’ve lost a lot of close games in recent times, haven’t we? And we haven’t been able to beat teams … Brisbane are the only team we’ve beaten who have been higher on the ladder,” Beveridge said.

“I’m not an excuse maker as a coach and I never will be – there’s always reasons, we haven’t been able to deal with losing key position players in games through injury, and we haven’t been able to buffer that with enough run and completion of the game.”

Beveridge said a drop away in tackling pressure against the Hawks was responsible for the loss but did not think the trend was due to complacency with the Dogs’ relatively safe ladder position entering the match.

“Complacent is something that we can’t afford to be, but there’s no doubt there’s some individuals who jumped on the plane coming out of Launceston and knew that the difference between their very best and what the boys showed was nowhere near what it needed to be,” he said.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is not into excuses. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Beveridge said Liberatore, who is enjoying a career-best season and has been a vital cog in the Bulldogs’ midfield, was “on track” to play against Geelong in round 24.

“He’s feeling a lot better. We’ll wait and see, but we’re hoping he might be available for the last round, Beveridge said.

“(Johannisen) will need to jump through some hoops to be available for that last game, he definitely won’t play this week.”