Bulldogs demand Bevo change message, as lack of ‘harmony’ with players emerges – Footy Classified

Caroline Wilson gives Footy Classified the latest on what’s happening behind the scenes at the kennel, as a lack of harmony emerges at the club.

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but we start with the Bulldogs the mixed
messages out of the dogs in particular
Caro and the well the uncertainty around
the coach which is brewing Luke B
there’s certainly uncertainty around the
coach the club has denied from several
sources today Craig that there was a
crisis meeting today wherein the coach
was going to be spoken to about some of
his methods some of his selection
decisions but what is true is that Luke
beverage will address the media tomorrow
and my understanding is that he will be
told in on certain terms that the
message has to change the message has
been confusing uh you spoke about this
on the Sunday Footy Show Kane and a lot
of people simply don’t understand and
I’m not just talking about sponsors and
coder and media I’m talking about
players what are they doing at the
moment are they playing for the now or
are they rebuilding and I think that
well I don’t think he’s in alignment
with the club on this is the problem
isn’t it no well he’s he’s not but the
other the other thing and you know we
know that I think Peter Jackson was
brought in late last year after the
coach had been reassigned to review the
footy department and I gather that among
those findings or certainly from what
happened afterwards that there was an
understanding the coach needed stronger
people around him different people
around him and more help that he had
just he had too much power and he needed
more help so who have we heard from this
year Matthew we haven’t heard really
much from the CEO we haven’t heard
really much from the president we
haven’t heard from Matthew aagan or
Chris Grant all we’ve heard of heard
from is Luke bever yeah the frustration
I think is it’s a real cycle at the
Western Bulldogs that uh you know at
this time every year you say why aren’t
the Bulldogs performing quite like they
need to he cops pressure because there’s
always players who we know are good
enough to be in their 22 that just
aren’t being played then it gets to
midseason and suddenly the side settles
down again he picks a side he should
have picked in the first half of the
year and the dogs come home and win
enough games to either play or just miss
out it just doesn’t make any sense the
messaging let’s start with that so Luke
beverage on the weekend and then the
response on the Now versus the future
and then Lee Matthews had his say as
well you know picked the side two weeks
ahead but understanding what we’ve got
coming up against the Saints with a bit
of a taller forward line that we’re
definitely going to need someone like
James in the team whether or not there’s
any pain as we as we evolve and and move
into the future CU it’s all about the
now and and and what’s up next and
what’s up next year and um history is
history I can’t empathize in where
Bulldogs are and Luke beverage is of
saying we’re deliberately going to try
and make ourselves worse just to play
these four or five kids I wouldn’t have
thought they were in that situ it’s a
strange narrative because it is the
public narrative isn’t it Luke himself
is saying we’re playing the kids because
we got to think about the future God I
reckon every game you play it’s got to
be a grand final yeah we’re all confused
and I’m not surprised to hear you say
that the club is confused as well and
they’re trying to seek Clarity the media
team will try and explain to Luke
beverage that he needs to say where
they’re playing for and the view of most
internal people at the club is that this
is a top four list yeah so he doesn’t
believe that it’s clear he doesn’t he’s
lost trust in key players why though
he’s regenerating the list on the Fly
and he has even rejected your narrative
that this is a strong list and in fact
here’s a little bit of example from last
year before we explore further and then
the inconsistencies of message against
the cosos yeah well you guys I mean you
can only assess our list based on what
you see are you’re looking at our whole
list are looking at players who have
been influential in the past is your
knowledge of the game sophisticated
enough to understand that it takes more
than you know a handful so you think
you’ve got a top four list right now is
the is the bottom line yeah we do they
haven’t all played consistently at that
level but if you look at the nucleus of
that team you build a s around that now
we’re on a a period of of evolution
significant Evolution again when you
consider coming off 22 straight out and
elimination final last year finishing
ninth um you know the definition of
insanity is doing the same thing over
and over again and um expect and
thinking you’re going to get a a
different result yeah so they’re just
not on the same page this is Baker
kicking it out in the fall three times
tell me you’d rather biley Dale or Baker
kicking that football from halfback this
one goes into the stands like this is
how bad this guy is going and Luke
beverage has opted to play him in front
of bayy Dale who is an all Australian
who you’ve signed for 5 years and this
this is what we’re getting we’re getting
Bramble we’re getting odonnell and we’re
having McCrae out of the
side longm because he disagrees with
where list management and the board and
the CEO you heard from 100% that’s the
whole of the issue I don’t know how many
times I can sit here and say they should
have moved on the coach a long time ago
it needed a fresh start it needed a
reset it is the best coaching job that
you can get right now a new coach would
go in there and do similar to what has
done I don’t think I do at all because I
watched him play against you long last
week and they should win that game of
footy hutchy I’ve seen them s play some
excellent football and every time they
don’t win we question the list and it’s
far wide ranging than just selection
this team refuses to defend once again
uh they refuse to stop run-ons ESS and
kicked 10 out of the last 11 goals so
it’s a bigger issue for Luke beverage
than just selection and that has
overshadowed and that’s been the talking
point um today and it’s a big issue but
he doesn’t believe in defense and he
hasn’t believed in defense for the best
part of seven or eight years that’s the
biggest issue that’s why not getting the
results they should be getting with the
list that they’ve got on Thursday night
I think Amit Baines needs to be asked on
at any of the games when they played
some killed on Thursday night is that
did he present to the board in the weeks
leading up to the season or the months
leading up to the season say we are
regenerating we need to start again and
that’s the only way he can get out of
this I think do you regenerate with
Talent from the draft just just just do
you regenerate with Bramble and Baker
and Donal or do you regenerate with
Elite draft picks yeah which Sanders
yeah is is one that he’s got in the team
U Gallagher is another one that looks
okay but the players that he’s playing
ahead of Daniel and Dale aren’t the ones
and this is where he would argue these
guys haven’t got it done from the last
two years yeah but I I think the reason
they don’t get it done was bayy Smith
was one of the most dynamic wingman in
the game he made him a forward Caleb
Daniel became a forward when he’s one of
the best halfback flankers Jason
johanneson was a nor Smith medal
halfback he turned him into a forward
Liberatore lost his way for a period
because he made him a forward when he’s
a gun inside mid Ed Richards was drafted
as one of the great halfbacks he made
him a forward Bailey Dall sub and Rory L
he tried this year to make a wingman so
that’s why he doesn’t help himself do
you think he’s a poor judge of picking a
team and where to play them well well
he’s he’s won a grand final he’s made a
Premiership but I think he makes things
harder on himself and his team in
performing consistently because of the
way he selects I can I can promise you
Caleb Daniel will play this week and the
team will be selected tomorrow I mean
they don’t have much time to turn it
around but I don’t think he would have
presented that to the board Matthew
because I don’t think anybody apart from
Luke beverage didn’t think that they
were in it for the now that they thought
that they were going to present this
year he said that at round
one which I think CAU a lot of people by
surprise I don’t think I’m not sure
there’s Harmony at that football club
well I know there’s not Harmony and I
don’t think there’s Harmony between
because if there’s not that’s when look
like anyone’s on the same page at the
moment I’m interested in Cara has that
information because if you’re not on on
Harmony with your management or you’ve
lost your senior players you’re in
trouble look all parties have insisted
that the relationship between am meet
Baines and Luke beverage has improved
since they fell out last year over the
decision to get rid of Rowan Smith I
think and a couple of other changes but
I’m not quite sure how good it is I’m
not sure that every player is on the
same page a significant amount of
players are on the same page with the
coach now and one View and it I think
it’s internal as well is that Aaron
Norton should be tried at Center half
back now let’s see how that went down
when it was put to Luke beverage the
other night our coaches so stubborn that
they want to push back on the advice
they get externally are you are you
serious are you serious no no no no are
you suggesting that a coach won’t do
something that might be better for their
team because someone else suggests it
that’s what I’m asking now you’re
sitting in A1 of the cheap seats because
it’s so easy out here because you don’t
have all the
information I know much has been spok
about Aaron would you ever consider him
moving back or is that not even a a
possibility I can tell you know better
you know better so the inference there
that he’s being stubborn because other
people have suggested it not not him
yeah is that what you’re saying well the
initial conversation was actually
regarding Adelaide and the move of Isaac
Rankin on Ball and whether Matthew Nicks
had been stubborn because everyone was
suggesting it but to
wouldn’t even answer the question a fair
question he’s been asked that question a
lot though and they should have asked
that question after the other and once
again list management have decided to
sign Aaron Norton for nine years as a
fordward so maybe he disagrees with that
as well a really interesting point here
where it just looks like there’s going
to be Mass turnover at the end of the
year on the playing sense uh and I mean
let’s I mean byy Smith’s the obvious one
here’s the update
there our approach with that has been to
offer a contract to him we’re really
Keen to retain him he’s had that but at
the same time we don’t want to put any
undue pressure on him has he given you
any indication of his intentions no so
that looks like an exit you’ve got
English where the debate will be a does
he want to go and B is he worth the
million or so to keep and the best use
of money you’ve got these guys all
largely you’d have to say at a level of
discontent varying among the four who
the club might want to move out one two
or all or they might want to go and then
I think you got a attraction problem too
which is how do you attract players
there when the coach changes his mind on
so many players who are contracted like
it’ be a very tough sale to to recruit
an elite player I think that’s a great
point you make and I think Bailey Smith
very attractive to everyone uh Caleb
Daniel I think good play in anyone’s
side in my opinion and bayy Dale also so
there’s three great opportunities for 17
other clubs and then Bon P’s interesting
one so he’s done predominantly for a
player if he’s St a shorter term deals
two-year an now four he looked really
frustrated on Friday night and he’s up
at the end of next year they’ll be
trying to sign him throughout the course
this year his view on the coach Kane is
going to be he would have the ability
well I think LeBron James style almost
to have a stronger view on the coach
well he would he would like if he if he
said hey I don’t think this is a lining
for us and I might s it out till the end
of next year the view has always been
that as long as Marcus bonon pelly
supports Luke beverage it doesn’t really
matter so much about Kylie Watson
wheeler or Luke Darcy who clearly have
been big supporters clearly well I I
can’t speak for Marcus Bonton py but
there are more players now who are
getting jackob if they can’t get him
signed by the end of the year Bon Pell
or he won’t he says I’m going to wait I
think that spells the end the side that
beat them Hai with the bombers and they
were smashed during the week by just
about everybody for for the way they
play and the port ADL performance but it
was just nice to see that they just went
they went after the head of the western
Bulldogs that was the first center
bounce darham you go to bondon p and Jo
calwell you go to Liberator let’s get
the best I thought Goldstein beat
English I thought maai beat n they took
out their best players and then off the
back of that and their two best two best
players of the dogs being gone after I
thought the energy just Rose and after I
thought it was an softish opening
quarter but after half timee I thought
the pressure look at this from Harrison
Jones the pressure went through the roof
cane so I look forward to seeing if they
can back it up against the crows on
Friday night but the pressure they were
under it was an outstanding performance