How Luke Beveridge’s job security sits ahead of review and Western Bulldogs confidence of paying $5.9m legal damages

With a major review coming at the Dogs, the club president has confirmed where Luke Beveridge’s job security sits and how the club would handle a record payout to a sexual abuse survivor.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - August 26 , 2023. AFL . Luke Beveridge , Senior Coach of the Bulldogs at 3 quarter time during the round 24 match between Geelong and the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Australia. Photo by Michael Klein.

The Western Bulldogs are confident a $5.9 million payout to abuse survivor Adam Kneale would not financially cripple the club.

And Dogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler has guaranteed coach Luke Beveridge’s job is not at risk ahead of a football department review led by veteran administrator Peter Jackson.

Luke Beveridge is safe from a football department review. Picture: Michael Klein.

Damages set to be paid by the club to Kneale are not covered by insurance and it is expected the Bulldogs would need to take out a loan to cover the costs.

The club is appealing the verdict and hopes to reduce the damages.

A Supreme Court jury found last week that the Bulldogs were negligent in stopping volunteer Graeme Hobbs from abusing Kneale between 1984 and 1990.

Watson-Wheeler said the strong financial position of the club would offset the figure if it remains as stands, with the redevelopment of Whitten Oval a crucial part of the Bulldogs’ off-field stability.

Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler. Picture: Daniel Pockett

“I’m not sure how many clubs had insurance for these kind things in the ‘60s and ‘70s, so we are definitely exposed there and if left unchallenged then it would represent a significant financial impost to the club,” she told SEN.

“I think the benefit is we are strong financially as a club, we have many ways in which we generate non-football revenue. We have our amazing redevelopment that we just finished that will open up a lot of options for commercial return.

“I am not concerned about that (being crippled by the payout) but obviously it is something that we hope doesn’t come to fruition.”

The Bulldogs announced on Monday it would be launching a review following a disappointing 2023 campaign, in which the highly rated Dogs missed the top eight.

Jackson, a former CEO at Essendon and Melbourne, will be brought in to the club to conduct the review and has been given no strict timeline to return findings, despite pre-season kicking off on November 27.

Watson-Wheeler said the club would likely adhere to suggestions from Jackson but confirmed Beveridge was not in danger after his coaching panel was remade around him this off-season.

Nathan Burke was let go by the Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

“This is not a review of people, it is a review of the department and the processes and it is to help us find those one-percenters,” she said.

“Clearly we are committed to Bevo, we re-signed him (in December 2022) and we believe that the changes we made at the end of the season will really, in part, help him get the best out of himself and the playing group.”

Watson-Wheeler also said that the decision to sack AFLW coach Nathan Burke on Wednesday was in response to a disastrous 1-9 season.

“We were really grateful for the five seasons he coached for us over four years,” she said.

“It’s a results driven game and unfortunately it didn’t work out as we would have hoped it would have had but of course we wish him the absolute best for the future.”

Former GP boss set to join Dogs board

- Scott Gullan
Former Grand Prix boss Andrew Westacott will join the Western Bulldogs board.

Westacott who quit the Grand Prix early this year after 12 years in the job is a passionate Dogs fan and his expertise in business and sport is seen as beneficial for the club during a turbulent period at the Whitten Oval.

Westacott had been floated as a potential candidate to replace Gillon McLachlan as the league’s chief executive and was the longest serving CEO of Australia’s Grand Prix race.

He was replaced in that role by former AFL executive Travis Auld earlier this year.

Former Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Andrew Westacott will join the Bulldogs board in December. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The Dogs have avoided a board election with Westacott to be a member-elected director and will be ratified at the club’s AGM on December 18.

“He has a strong passion for the red, white and blue, and is excited to play a key role in the future direction of our Club,” Bulldogs President Kylie Watson-Wheeler said.

“Andrew clearly has a strong skill set which will add significant value to our current Board, and we will welcome his knowledge and expertise.

“With Andrew’s addition to our Board, we can confirm that we won’t have an election at our AGM this year, which is a great sign of stability as we move into 2024.”

Originally published as How Luke Beveridge’s job security sits ahead of review and Western Bulldogs confidence of paying $5.9m legal damages