Luke Beveridge inspires his players to premiership glory with rousing pre-game speech

WESTERN Bulldogs’ coach Luke Beveridge used a musical theme to inspire his young charges to premiership glory in a rousing pre-game address.

Luke Beveridge joins in the song after Western Bulldogs’ Grand Final win. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

WESTERN Bulldogs’ coach Luke Beveridge used a musical theme to inspire his young charges to premiership glory in a rousing pre-game address.

The Herald Sun can reveal the premiership coach likened the Dogs’ team to a band and urged his players to “use their instruments” in the stirring moments before they took the field in Saturday’s Grand Final triumph.

Veteran Matthew Boyd said it was one of the finest moments of Beveridge’s stunning two-year reign at the kennel.

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“He just pointed at blokes and said ‘You bring your drums’ and ‘You bring your guitar’, and someone else brought a trumpet - I’m not sure if Will Minson was there with his saxophone,” Boyd told the Herald Sun.

“It was a very good one (address).

“He always takes a different angle and finds a little emotional hook somewhere along the line in the pre-game speech.

Luke Beveridge gets a Gatorade shower from Marcus Bontempelli.

“I think that really ‘struck a chord’ with the boys - if I can use the pun - because we have got a lot of guys who like their music, and can relate a little bit to that.”

Hawthorn mastermind Alastair Clarkson famously used the “kill the shark” mantra to upset Geelong in 2008 and Brisbane legend Leigh Matthews inspired Brisbane in 2001 with the line from the movie Predator “if it bleeds, we can kill it”.

But Beveridge’s message was based on a theme of team unity and on-field potential, reminding the young Dogs anything was possible up against the more fancied Sydney Swans when they combined all of their individual talents.

It was pretty special. It’s why you play your whole life for and it’s what you dream about as a kid running out on the MCG on Grand Final day.

Matthew Boyd

The stirring pre-game speech was also accompanied by a slogan written on the meeting room whiteboard, which was created by one of the Dogs’ players on a pre-season camp.

The message, which has been part of a secret theme all season for the club’s premiership heroes, said (or words to the effect) “The pain of discipline is better than the pain of disappointment”.

Boyd said the players had kept the message in-house throughout the season but made it a key focus on Grand Final day as they broke a 62-year premiership drought.

Easton Wood and Matthew Boyd with the premiership cup.

“We did a lot of good stuff in pre-season and we went to Mooloolaba for a 10-day training camp and then we went to Lorne and that was where one of the boys came up with it,” he said.

“It was very internal.

“‘Bevo’ has said a fair bit that we get our inspiration internally, not external stuff.”

The All-Australian defender has previously indicated he wants to play on next season but will consider his future with family and club officials in the next few weeks.

Boyd, 34, could retire on an exhilarating high note after previously falling short in three-straight preliminary finals between 2008-10.

The Dogs’ great said his head was still spinning on Sunday.

“It was pretty special. It’s why you play your whole life for and it’s what you dream about as a kid running out on the MCG on Grand Final day,” Boyd said.

“To get one of these premiership medallions around your neck and for it just to all come through, it’s pretty surreal at the moment.

“Hopefully it will sink in the next couple of days and I’ll absorb it all and talk to my family (about playing next season) and go from there.”

Originally published as Luke Beveridge inspires his players to premiership glory with rousing pre-game speech