AFL 2024: Pressure ramps up on Bulldogs, Beveridge after 97-91 loss to Hawthorn

After a week in the headlines, the future of Luke Beveridge at the Dogs looks to still be a talking point, after his side’s shock loss to Hawthorn on Sunday.

Chris Cavanagh and Ronny Lerner

4 min read

May 6, 2024 - 9:00AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. May 4, 2024. AFL Round 8. . Western Bulldogs vs. Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium. Luke Beveridge, Senior Coach of the Bulldogs at 3 qtr time. Pic: Michael Klein

AFL

Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.

Sam Draper might not be behind a microphone, but a suite of other footy podcasts will be talking about Luke Beveridge and the Western Bulldogs this week.

A Bulldogs-heavy crowd of almost 30,000 people would have turned up to Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon expecting an easy kill against a seemingly hapless Hawthorn side that had won eight of its past 32 matches.

Instead, fans walked away with fresh questions about just where their club is at after another meek performance.

Beveridge insisted post-game that morale at the club was “okay” and his players and coaches all remained on the same page, and they were prepared for the inevitable heightened media attention that will be applied to them in the coming days.

“We know that unless you’re winning games, you’re always vulnerable to media scrutiny and so we just expect it. It’s the nature of the industry,” Beveridge said post-match.

“I’ve got a thick skin. I can deal with it. But I won’t let it affect the way that I care for and manage the playing group.

“We’re talking in terms of challenging each other and being better and because we know the external noise is a really challenging thing to deal with for any playing group right across the competition.

“So we can only nurture and help and prod and poke around the things that we can improve in, but any external scrutiny we’ve just got to deal with. It’s going to be there.”

Luke Beveridge says he’s ready to deal with external heat. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

Beveridge has lived up to his reputation as a master experimenter when it comes to team selection this year, with numerous curious decisions being made that have left many scratching their heads. But despite owning a 3-5 win-loss record, the 2016 premiership coach maintained he was “always confident” in his selection choices.

“To evolve into the future and be a team and be a list full of players who can challenge up ahead, we’ve got to find out. We can’t sit on our hands,” Beveridge said.

“We’ve got vulnerabilities like any other team and we identify them early and we make changes.

“I know I’ve been critiqued over that over time but ... I want to set us up to succeed.”

The Hawks held on in a thriller. Pic: Michael Klein

The Bulldogs kicked three goals in the first six minutes of the match in what looked an ominous start.

For the better part of the next three quarters, they barely gave a yelp as they were outworked and outgunned by an inexperienced Hawthorn side which was almost two years younger on average.

The Hawks wanted it more – plain and simple.

They brought great pressure, particularly early, and won more of the hard ball throughout the match.

Hawthorn had ranked 16th in the competition for scores from turnovers entering the game, but feasted on a mountain of mistakes from the Bulldogs.

Until they finally found some spark again in the last quarter, the Dogs were stagnant with their ball movement off half-back and either took the wrong options or executed poorly when they did move the footy forward.

They finished with 68 turnovers – and Hawthorn made them pay.

The Hawks kicked a staggering 10.8 (68) to 2.4 (16) from turnovers for the match.

Sam Mitchell’s side also won the contested possession count 135-127 and tackles 71-59.

Hawthorn captain James Sicily epitomised the Hawks – tough.

Sicily bravely jumped across the front of a pack late in the first quarter, dislocating his right shoulder.

It was popped back in, strapped up and Sicily started the second term on the ground a mere 15 minutes later.

The skipper then worryingly limped off in the third quarter, before having his left foot strapped and returning once again.

He played most of the last quarter at full-forward, where he kicked what proved to be the winning goal.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan blew a late chance to salvage something for the Dogs. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Like Sicily, the usual suspects had a crack for the Bulldogs.

But too many others provided too little.

The Bulldogs had their chances in the final term – and at one point hit the front – but couldn’t finish their work.

Fresh from signing a two-year contract extension, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was unable to convert from a set shot 50m out.

A goal would have levelled the scores, but Ugle-Hagan slammed the ball into the behind post on the full and failed to register a score as his side slumped to a fourth loss in five games.

As much as Beveridge has tried to hose down expectations on his team this year, fans could have reasonably expected them to beat a side whose only win this season had come against North Melbourne.

Unlike other clubs, the Bulldogs can’t use injuries as an excuse.

Tom Liberatore and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan both returned on Sunday, leaving Bailey Smith (knee) and Cody Weightman (elbow) as the only notable players on the sidelines.

Depth can’t be the issue, either, given Footscray sits unbeaten atop of the VFL ladder.

The Bulldogs face another battler in Richmond next week, before a tough run of games against top-four fancies Greater Western Sydney, Sydney and Collingwood.

If it is not already, it could be lights out on the season by round 12.

Where that leaves Beveridge and his side will be interesting to see.