Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge conceded his gamers “seized up” within the face of must-win video games to play finals after back-to-back losses left his workforce needing to finish a two-decade shedding streak at Geelong to achieve the post-season.
But within the face of critics suggesting the premiership winner had misplaced his connection together with his gamers, Beveridge stated he had “no concerns” his message was now not getting via after 9 seasons in cost.
Having labored via the fallout of final week‘s shock loss to West Coast that tipped his team out of the top eight, Beveridge said “you can’t exit and sing kumbaya” and play carefree footy with a lot on the road.
But he stated he would go to the emotional nicely together with his gamers to spotlight that they had been “still a chance” to maintain their season going with a victory towards the severely undermanned Cats at Geelong, the place the Bulldogs haven’t gained since 2003.
“I coach with a lot of passion, there’s a lot of emotion that comes thorough in my journey with the teams I have coached,” Beveridge stated on Friday.
“This week it’s only really Marcus (Bontempelli) and Tom (Liberatore) who started with me nine years ago. We’ve had dramatic change all around me from a list point of view and a staff point of view and you are searching for the chemistry to reconcile with the emotion and the headspace that you are after.
“I’ve got no concerns that my messaging doesn’t resonate with the group. I covet and am fortunate to be in the position I am in.
“But it’s my challenge to continue to prod and explore what the right recipe is week to week and year to year.”
This week that prodding will embody imploring his gamers to understand the “power in the room” to take down a Geelong aspect and not using a host of premiership stars, together with key forwards Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins.
The Bulldogs may even be with out midfield stars Bailey Smith, who’s ailing, and Jack Macrae via concussion.
Beveridge stated he would implore his gamers to maneuver away from the “playing to not lose” mentality that plagued them in losses first to Hawthorn after which the Eagles which have left them in such a dangerous place.
“The opportunity to play finals is a carrot right in front of you and sometimes I think, depending on the individual, you can seize up a bit around the prospect of a loss rather than the prospect of a win,” he stated.
“So maybe we‘ve seized up a little but in that regards and you can’t go out and sing kumbaya and break free and play a brand of footy that isn’t accountable, but you have to stork a balance.
“We’ve internalised a lot over the years and found the power and the strength and the inspiration in the room. It’s still there.
“I’ll look at the boys … and I’ll identify the power in the room and I’ll urge them to as well. There will be a little bit of emotion there, no doubt.
“(Geelong) will come out with a nothing to lose approach and in a similar vein we will come out with that approach as well.”
Originally printed as Luke Beveridge requires emotional response from gamers in final probability to make finals
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
