Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli has hit out at followers who abused gamers after a shock loss to West Coast on Sunday that would price them a finals place and backed coach Luke Beveridge as stress builds on the membership.
Beveridge, the membership’s 2016 premiership coach, has come beneath fireplace after consecutive losses to Sixteenth-placed Hawthorn after which the 18th-placed Eagles left the Bulldogs scrambling to make the finals.
The two losses imply the Bulldogs want a final-round win over Geelong in Geelong, which the membership hasn’t been capable of do for 20 years, to make the finals.
Fans at Marvel Stadium booed Bontempelli and his teammates after the seven-point loss to West Coast, a workforce that has misplaced by greater than 100 factors 5 instances in 2023.
The skipper mentioned he understood their frustration, however he wouldn’t cop being abused as he walked off the bottom with the season nonetheless alive.
“It’s never justified,” Bontempelli mentioned on Monday.
“You understand there’s a supporter base and are a wide range of people who support you and are emotionally invested in the game. I’ve seen it happen at different clubs. You don’t accept it but you understand why people are so passionate and why it takes to them to the length they do.
“You want people to support you and be proud of your efforts when you pull on the jumper. I understand it but I don’t accept it.
“We’ve been through tougher times and it’s often the people and supporters who can help you.”
Beveridge, who was given a two-year contract extension late final yr, obtained help on Monday from the membership’s soccer director Chris Grant, who shut down discuss Beveridge might be out the door if the Bulldogs didn’t make the finals.
But he didn’t shut the door utterly.
“We’re hurting after yesterday, understandably, and reflecting,” Grant informed SEN.
“But at the same time, he‘s voiced real commitment to the role and we’re backing him in. So as far as we‘re concerned, there’s no chance that that will happen.
“But, depending on how the end of the season finishes out, we’ve got to be very open and transparent with ourselves and make hard calls where we need to and we’ll do those if we need to.”
Bontempelli, who performed within the membership’s 2016 premiership workforce, mentioned Beveridge had the help of the enjoying group.
“He does. It’s been a tough season on the field and off the field with regard to what we expect of each other and what we set out to do,” he mentioned.
“It’s a shared responsibility … often he will take the rap for a poor performance and that’s who he is.
“He is a loyal person. He will support this player group to whatever lengths he can and we have to do that for him.”
Originally printed as Marcus Bontempelli hits out at abusive followers, backs coach after shock loss
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
