Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says the club will take a cautious approach with a player whose availability remains unclear, as the side prepares for its Round 10 meeting with Carlton on Saturday. Beveridge said there was no fresh update and that the Bulldogs would wait and see how the player goes over the next week.
He pointed to that player’s history as the reason for the careful line. Beveridge said the man had spent a whole pre-season a couple of years ago in non-contact and added that the club would tread warily because of what had happened before. The timeline remains uncertain, but the next week will determine whether the player can progress.
Beveridge’s weekly press conference also turned to Carlton’s coaching shake-up after Michael Voss’s departure. He said it was always sad when a coach finishes up and described Voss as unbelievably stoic and extremely resilient, saying he had sent him a message a few days after the change to wish him all the best. Beveridge said he admired the way Voss had handled himself, both as a coach and as a representative of his club, family and friends.
The Bulldogs coach was clear that Carlton’s change at the top did not mean the Blues would suddenly be easy to beat. He said it was rare for a team under a changing of the guard to be beaten really emphatically, adding that he did not think there was a lot of difference between Carlton and the Bulldogs anyway. Beveridge said the Blues had been publicised for second-half drop-offs, but last week they started slowly and finished strongly, and had not been beaten by much. The ingredients and essence of Carlton’s side, he said, still showed strength and capability. That is why the Bulldogs, he said, would definitely need to be on their toes on Saturday.
He also gave a broader injury update on another player, saying he would be a while and was probably going to re-enter group training over the next two or three weeks. Beveridge said that player was a fair way away because of a knee issue, with concussion secondary at the moment and the focus mainly on the knee. Asked about Adam, Beveridge said he had been such an important contributor to the football club. He said the plan was for Adam to play, that he had been training and would play at state-league level. Beveridge added that he is not a coach who talks about running parameters, and said you can tell by the naked eye that Adam still has the gift of winning contested ball.
