‘Missing opportunities’: Bevo’s admission on Dogs’ underwhelming form, explains selection calls

Western Bulldogs senior coach Luke Beveridge has expressed faith in his club’s short-term potential despite reiterating it’s in an evolution phase, while explaining multiple curious selection calls after Friday night’s loss to Essendon.

Following a tight first half during which they exhibited signs of blowing the game open, the Bulldogs were outmuscled in the second portion as the Bombers piled on seven goals to three to run out 29-point victors at Marvel Stadium.

The result saw the Dogs fall to 2-3 on the season.

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Questions have been asked of the Bulldogs’ future and where the club sits in the overall pecking order after an underwhelming start to 2024.

“I stand before (the players) and I talk to them about how much I believe in them and how much I think we’re capable of,” Beveridge told reporters post-game on Friday.

“When I talk to our supporters, I talk to them about the possibilities even though we’re evolving and there are some changes in personnel at different times.

“We’re missing out on some opportunities, so I understand if people aren’t sure about where we sit in the scheme of things, and it is early in the year. It’s just reality.”

Among the surprising selection calls was 2021 All-Australian Bailey Dale’s relegation to substitute on Friday night — a week after fellow senior Bulldog Jack Macrae was handed the cameo duties against Geelong.

“(It’s) just a form thing,” Beveridge said of Dale’s demotion.

“We’ve been a little bit on edge about Liam Jones and Buku Khamis shouldering that key defensive load. Without another tall to really play on keys, it’s meant that Ed Richards and (Dale), to a degree, have had to really fight out of their weight range in the air.

“(Dale) has just probably been a bit off (with) his influence in games. We thought it was a good week to bring James (O’Donnell) in. James is going to be a really important player for us in the future.”

Asked if he and his coaching committee already have an eye to the future, Beveridge stressed that he and his circle of powerbrokers are focussed on the ‘now’, despite the Bulldogs’ contingent of tantalising young talent that continue to press for senior opportunities.

“(Myself), our coaches and our decision-makers always make the decisions for the ‘now’, but we need to make sure — and this is part of the selection process as well — that we give opportunities to players that are going to be important players in the future, as much as now,” said Beveridge.

“It is a pretty steep learning curve at this level for guys that haven’t played many games. But in no way, shape or form are we saying that we’re doing it for next year and the year after, or anything like that.

“It’s absolutely for the now. We believe that we can win games like tonight. We just weren’t good enough tonight, unfortunately.”

Gun half-back Caleb Daniel was omitted ahead of Friday night’s important bout, with Beveridge likening the diminutive ball-getter’s circumstance to Dale’s.

“Similar to Bailey Dale, just as far as influence (on the game) goes,” Beveridge said.

“As I’ve said in the past, there’s a finite amount of minutes that midfielders can play, and (with Daniel) we’ve probably moved away from picking him as a half-back at the moment, so it comes down to who we’re going to play in the other roles.

“We had others in the fore this week, so we’ll keep working through that.”

Daniel notched 26 disposals and three tackles in Friday’s VFL curtain-raising clash with the Dons’ reserves.

Beveridge also explained his decision to sub out first-year midfielder Ryley Sanders, who was left frustrated upon learning he’d been removed from the game.

“We’ll process (that) with him post-game,” the Bulldogs senior coach said.

“It’s always difficult — not many of us enjoy the ‘sub’ factor, especially the ‘subbing out’ aspect. But it’s a steep learning curve for ‘Sando’.

“He’s going to be such an important player for the football club and he’s learning all the time, and part of that is understanding that from time-to-time he may be that guy who comes off the ground. So, we’ll work through it with him.”

Sanders, who managed just eight disposals against the Bombers, was also subbed out in the Dogs’ Round 1 clash with Melbourne.

The Bulldogs face the 2-2 Saints next Thursday night at Marvel Stadium in what’s shaping as a season-defining clash.