AFL 2024: Luke Beveridge concerned by Western Bulldogs midfield

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says there was no injury holding back captain Marcus Bontempelli after he was comprehensively shut out of a crucial stretch of Friday’s elimination final.

Bontempelli only managed a single touch in the second quarter and just three handballs in the following term as Hawthorn booted nine goals to two to end the Bulldogs’ season.

Beveridge praised his captain’s final-quarter efforts as he denied there was any prolonged stint on the interchange bench during the period which contributed to his lack of influence.

“I don’t think he did … have you got facts on that? He might have got stuck on (the bench) for a minute or two longer (than planned), but he was OK,” the coach said after the 37-point loss.

“He tried to lift us in the last quarter, he kicked a goal, he almost kicked a second (a shot touched by teammate Aaron Naughton near the line), and that was the message at three-quarter time.”

Bontempelli was not alone in suffering a performance dip through the Bulldogs’ midfield, with Ed Richards failing to lay a tackle and Adam Treloar, who was carrying a calf injury, only managing nine disposals to halftime.

“We didn’t have any great influence through there unfortunately, from the rucks through to that (on-ball) brigade, it didn’t happen for us,” Beveridge said.

“(Hawthorn) looked slick across the ground, they put us under enormous pressure and we didn’t cope as well as we needed to.

“We’re as flat as the proverbial hats, as you can imagine. We came here tonight off a week’s break feeling like we were ready to get out of the blocks … the maintenance of the momentum, we just couldn’t get it done.”

With the futures of senior Bulldogs midfielders Jack Macrae and Caleb Daniel up in the air after they spent most of the season on the fringes of the side, Beveridge said he was concerned by how poor his side’s contested game had been in the heat of a final.

“No one came here tonight thinking that we’d be strongarmed in the game, and I think in the end, Hawthorn strongarmed us,” Beveridge said.

“We’ve been able to show (aggression) … it’s got to be part of your make-up, you don’t win these big finals if you haven’t got integrity in the contest and you don’t deal with pressure well.

“It’s such a big occasion for us to go down and be humbled in that area … that’s, coming away from the game, the biggest concern coming out of it.

“There’s frustration, disappointment … it’s going to take a little while. We picked a night, against a really good side, to not be able to see it through after the first quarter.

“It’s not a great way to finish the year.”