Luke Beveridge change of power, future, contract, discord from Western Bulldogs players, reaction, response, latest news

There’s reportedly a “correction” to be made over Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge’s level of power at the club amid claims of player “discord”.

The Dogs face a horror scenario of missing out on finals for the first time since 2018 after a disastrous loss to the then 18th-placed Eagles at Marvel Stadium on Sunday as Beveridge’s side fell to 11-11 on the season.

It leaves them sitting ninth on the ladder with one round to play.

Now veteran journalist Caroline Wilson has lifted the lid on player discontent which she says has surfaced due to constant selection changes week to week and an overall lack of stability.

Watch every game until the Grand Final of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. Join now and start streaming instantly >

And she believes Beveridge has “had too much power for too long” and that “moves have been to rectify that”.

Wilson did, however, note that Dogs bosses denied that view — adding that the coach is “lucky” to have the support of skipper Marcus Bontempelli.

Later expanding on the topic on Channel 9’s Footy Classified, Wilson suggested it leaves question marks on the futures of several Dogs stars.

“A lot more players leave the Bulldogs than other clubs,” Wilson said on Channel 9,

“I just feel and hear there is some more disaffected players this year.

“We know what happened with (Josh) Dunkley last year, we’re not sure where Bailey Smith’s future is, we’re not sure how Adam Treloar’s feeling at the moment. Will Tim English accept a big offer to go an play for West Coast?

“Just a general dissatisfaction with the lack of cohesion and consistency in form and selection.

“Thanks heavens Luke Beveridge has Marcus Bontempelli who has been his great leader and supporter during all of this.

“(There’s) a definite correction coming over Luke Beveridge’s authority.”

Dogs footy boss Chris Grant on SEN on Monday backed in Beveridge, who at the end of last year penned a two-year extension until 2025.

It’d be Beveridge’s 11th season at the helm.

Beveridge, who first took the reins at Whitten Oval in 2015 and coached the Dogs to their drought-breaking 2016 premiership, has since guided the team to 10th, 13th, seventh, seventh, fifth and eighth finishes respectively including a grand final appearance in 2021.

However dual All-Australian Kane Cornes, who’s long been critical of Beveridge over claims he’s not getting the most out of his side, called for the club to make the “hard call” and part ways with its premiership coach.

Cornes went on to say that, aside from the Dogs’ underwhelming on-field performance, Beveridge has been a “poor ambassador” for the club.

“Absolutely change is needed now, otherwise it will get ugly towards the start of next season,” Cornes told Footy Classified.

“They need to make a hard call. He’s been a great coach for the footy club, put a statue of him up, put a plaque up at the Whitten Oval to celebrate what he has done.

“But 2016 is a long time ago and since then, they’ve just been an ordinary club. Yes they went to a grand final (2021), but their performance was embarrassing on the day, really. Since then, it’s all been downhill.

“This has been on the cards for a while and unfortunately it takes a loss like yesterday to highlight just how poor they’re going.”

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd put it on Grant and Dogs CEO Ameet Bains to do a thorough examination at Whitten Oval to decipher where change might be needed.

“I have great respect for Ameet Bains and Chris Grant, they’re good football people, but they have to ask the hard questions,” Lloyd added.

“We’ll find out if they’re hard enough, it looks like they’ve made a hard decision on (outgoing assistant coach) Rohan Smith.

“Players aren’t everything, but what I think they need to do is ask about why they get the inconsistency and if it’s enough for everyone to change around Luke. Would that be enough to change the environment, or is Luke the problem here?”