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Under fire Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says his side isn’t undergoing a rebuilding, simply because he doesn’t believe in them.
Beveridge’s selections decisions, which include axing small defender Caleb Daniel and lack of clarity for his playing group has gained criticism, as the club struggles to repeat their 2016 premiership efforts.
Their 2-3 win-loss record has also come under fire, with fears he has lost trust from the broader Bulldogs committee.
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But when questioned on whether he has lost the support of his players, Beveridge laughed off the claim.
“It’s a totally fiction, that’s all I’ll say,” Beveridge told reporters on Tuesday.
“The senior boys who have missed out, they get it, they understand and their attitude (towards being dropped) has been unbelievable.”
As for suggestions that he is actually taking his side through a rebuild and cannot push for finals, the 2016 premiership coach declared that ideology isn’t a factor in his game plan.
“The ‘rebuilding’ term is a myth,” Beveridge said.
“You cannot rebuild in our game, in our code with the restraints that exist with the draft and the salary cap.
“You just can’t do it.”
Beveridge says he has moved on from the criticism, including hints that his side has reached crisis point, now focussing solely on their must-win match against the Saints on Thursday night.
While axed defender Daniel will rejoin the squad, the Dogs will be without star midfielder Tom Liberatore, who has been ruled out under the AFL’s concussion protocols after he collapsed on field minutes after copping a brutal hit from Essendon’s Jake Stringer.
Liberatore played out the 29-point loss and showed no signs of delayed concussion the morning after, but the club made the call to sideline him until they get to the bottom of the scary fall.
“They feel like there was a concussion episode that he had a … delayed response to. That’s what they’re putting the stumble down to,” Beveridge said.
The Dogs will face a depleated St Kilda, who will likely be without star key forward Max King due to a knee injury.
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