Bulldogs coach Beveridge wary of Marvel mental trap
Shayne Hope |
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge hopes a return home will offer little in the way of comfort to his road warriors.
Instead, he wants the sixth-placed Bulldogs (5-4) to remain on edge as they seek to continue their strong start to the season.
The Dogs have visited seven venues in five different states and territories across the opening nine rounds of the campaign.
But they are back in the familiar confines of Marvel Stadium for a home clash with co-tenants Essendon on Saturday night.
“The risk with human nature is to fall into the complacent mindset that you’re playing at home now,” Beveridge said.
“It will bite you if you have that mindset.
“We’re not really making a big deal of the fact that we’ve got a lot of Marvel games at the back end of the year.
“We’ve just got to take it week by week – it doesn’t matter where we play.”
The Bulldogs had a run of three straight wins snapped in a 10-point defeat to red-hot Gold Coast in energy-sapping conditions in Darwin last week.
But Beveridge is not concerned about any lingering effects, having given his players extra time off to recover.
“We had a good session on Wednesday and we should go in pretty fresh,” Beveridge said.
Essendon defender Jayden Laverde will play his first game of the season, replacing Lewis Hayes (knee) against the Bulldogs.
Beveridge has recalled experienced defender Taylor Duryea and exciting forward Arthur Jones, with Harvey Gallagher and Caleb Poulter left out.
Jones is one of two Indigenous players in the Bulldogs’ line-up, along with Ryley Sanders, for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round fixture.
“He’s had three really good weeks and forced his way into the team,” Beveridge said of the speedy 21-year-old.
“As I said to him when we gave him the news, this isn’t a charity selection.
“You’re not getting a game just because you’re a First Nations lad. You’ve earned it.
“But it’s a healthy irony that he’s playing this round and he gets to wear the Indigenous guernsey, which is fairly creative and exquisite.”
Beveridge revealed All-Australian midfielder Adam Treloar and experienced defender Liam Jones are both unlikely to play before the Bulldogs’ bye in round 12 because of calf injuries.
AAP
