Luke Beveridge wants Western Bulldogs players to hold on to Bailey Smith taunt

Star Geelong recruit Bailey Smith lit the fuse for a big-time rematch with his old team after a sledge his old coach wasn’t surprised by for one key reason.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge wants his players to bottle their reaction to a gibe from former teammate Bailey Smith for a few weeks given it’s a “fair way out” until they clash with Geelong, declaring there’s “no real filter” with the star midfielder.

Smith, who moved to the Cats after 113 games under Beveridge, sent a sledge his old team’s way in the wake of Geelong’s epic Saturday night win over Collingwood at the MCG in front of more than 80,000 people.

“I’m not getting that at Ballarat,” Smith told Fox Footy, referencing the crowd of less than 10,000 that watched his old team take down Port Adelaide earlier in the day.

He earnt a retort from Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, who said it was a “few less people down in Ballarat to flip the bird to” after Smith was fined for an obscene gesture.

“It makes round 11 even more interesting, which I think we’ll all be looking forward to,” Bontempelli told Channel 7.

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Beveridge was on the couch watching the game and heard Smith’s remarks but was relatively unmoved, although he conceded it wouldn’t go unnoticed, or unmentioned, in the build-up to the clash with the Cats.

“As everyone said, you know, it’s interesting theatre, and I think everyone welcomes it,” he said on Tuesday.

“I said to our plays at the start of the week, let’s leave that until we actually played Geelong, because it doesn’t matter at the moment. We’ve go the Suns and then Essendon and then the Cats before the bye.

“There’s no real filter with Baz (Smith). You kind of accept that, and I don’t think he’s going to change.

“He will tell you, ‘it’s just the way I am. I don’t have a filter’. He doesn’t try and hide from it.

“I’m not sure whether Geelong are going to like that every week, but it’s just the way he rolls.”

It’s just the way Bailey Smith (left) rolls, his old coach says. Picture: Michael Klein

Despite the cutting remark, Beveridge said he was he “rapt he’s playing some good footy” after Smith endured some mental health challenges and missed all of the 2024 season with a knee injury.

“It’s been well reported he had some real challenges the two years before he exited our club,” Beveridge said.

“I’m just really rapt for him that he’s playing good footy.

“Ultimately, the competition’s better. Geelong are a better side with him playing like he is.

“Ultimately him moving to Geelong, it seems like it’s been a good move for him and a good move for Geelong.

“We’re going OK, so no heartache there.”