AFL 2025: Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge on his team’s first clash with Geelong star Bailey Smith

Coach Luke Beveridge says the first meeting with Bailey Smith since his departure from the club does not come into Western Bulldogs’ strategic planning.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has downplayed his side’s rendezvous with former player Bailey Smith, insisting his exit “doesn’t come into” the Bulldogs’ preparation.

Thursday night’s clash at GMHBA Stadium is the Bulldogs’ first bout with the now Geelong star after he was traded from “The Kennel” at season’s end.

The anticipation for the clash rapidly rose just weeks ago when Smith swiped his former club for playing home games in Ballarat.

But Beveridge ruled out using Smith’s departure as motivation, saying “the key individuals in the Geelong team transcend just Bailey”.

“It’s a big game, they all are these days,” he said with a laugh.

Bailey Smith comes up against his former coach Luke Beveridge for the first time. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“But I think I said the other day, that is a bit of by-play, the theatre attached to the game in Bailey being a Geelong player now.

“It doesn’t come into discussions with our preparation, with our planning tactically and the way we build ourselves up for the game.

“The emotional part of it is has got to do with us, our journey and what we can achieve in this one.

“The key individuals in the Geelong team transcend just Bailey, the lads who play for them who we need to make sure don’t have a big impact.

“That’s part of the discussion and Bailey is a consideration in that, absolutely.”

Smith has been playing some brilliant football in his new threads after missing the entirety of the 2024 season through ACL recovery.

Beveridge says he is unsure whether the treatment of Smith will go beyond trying to nullify his influence on the game.

“I don’t think he’ll (Smith) get anything different to what you normally see from us,” he said.

Smith produced another brilliant performance against Port Adelaide last week. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“We don’t go out of our way to antagonise and get underneath anyone’s skin unnecessarily.

“There’s obviously a combative aspect and a verbal aspect of the game that exists every week no matter who you play – that won’t be any different than it usually is.

“I am not sure you’ll detect anything other than what you normally see and if you do I think we’ll all be interested to know afterwards why that happened.

“He’s playing some really influential footy, Bailey, so he’s definitely one of their most significant threats as you say.”

A jovial Beveridge was choice with his words ahead of the Smith encounter but hinted at a sense of irony surrounding the big crowd descending on Geelong.

“No doubt there’s going to be a pretty big crowd … I won’t say it … but it’s taken for the Bulldogs to go down there for them to almost pack out their stadium,” he joked.

“I don’t know what that means for ‘Baz’ … I know what the headline is going to be now.

“Our supporters love Bailey, he’s a 100-game player … it’s going to be packed with Geelong people, I don’t think they’re letting Western Bulldogs people in, so we’ll have to make our own noise.”

Originally published as AFL 2025: Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge on his team’s first clash with Geelong star Bailey Smith