Latest news with #LukeBeveridge
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
The Demons will appeal the Steven May ban that has left players confused
AFL players have already begun to 'hesitate slightly', knowing the 'margins' between a fair contest and a lengthy ban are slim as the impact of a three-match suspension handed to Melbourne defender Steven May reverberates through the game. The Demons on Thursday confirmed they would appeal the ban, adamant May's 'sole intention was to win the ball'. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge weighed in, saying he didn't agree with the suspension, but was adamant talk of it changing the fabric of the game was misplaced. May was suspended despite the AFL tribunal conceding his collision with Carlton's Francis Evans last Saturday night was not a bump. In the final minutes of his defence, May's legal counsel Adrian Anderson declared 'there was not much more he could do', but after more than 90 minutes of deliberation, the three-man tribunal panel determined he should have slowed down or changed his path to avoid Evans. Debate has raged since the incident, with some pundits adamant the game could no longer allow players to charge headlong towards opponents, whether the ball was in play or not. That's the grounds on which Melbourne will appeal with a hearing next week. 'We felt we presented a really strong case and Steven's sole intention was to win the ball, and we believe he provided a contest in a reasonable way given the circumstances.' Melbourne football boss, Alan Richardson said. 'After reviewing the outcome and seeking further expert legal advice this morning, we have decided to appeal the Tribunal's decision.' Evans, who lost a tooth and was left bloodied and bruised, conceded to the tribunal that he didn't think he was going to get to the ball before May, adding to the confusion over the ban. Essendon vice-captain Andy McGrath conceded the incident was a 'tricky' one for the tribunal but said over the course of his career his on-field attitude had changed, and he now asked himself questions despite the 'split second' nature of making calls. 'They are split-second decisions, there are so many in game, and the longer I play – this is my ninth season – those split-second contests have changed a lot,' he said. 'If you are second to the ball, you have a big responsibility to not make contact with your opponent's head. 'It definitely comes through your mind, whether that causes us to hesitate slightly, I am questioning that more and more in the game to protect the opposition player's head.' Beveridge said talk of the May ban setting any sort of 'precedent' was unfounded and it purely determined that the outcome of this collision was a suspension. 'One of the things that has never happened in our tribunal system is there's never really been any precedent established, so I don't think anyone should be talking about precedents and how it affects the game into the future,' he said. 'Each one on their own terms is assessed. 'Do I agree with it? Probably not. When there is eyes for the ball and for all intents and purposes the players are trying to win the ball … that's where the debate rages.' Carlton captain and Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps said he wasn't sure what May could have done and McGrath agreed. 'It didn't look great but it's really hard to pull out of that contest at the last second,' he told SEN. 'As players, it's pretty tricky to know what penalty lies based on the act and we know that's margins between a fair play and a pretty significant sanction.' Prior to their announcement, Demons great Garry Lyon believed the club would appeal. Lyon did not agree with the AFL tribunal's argument that May 'had sufficient time with an unimpeded view of what was before him to determine what he could and should do in the likely event that he did not reach the ball either first or at the same time'. 'That's nonsense, which is why I've lost a bit of faith in this and why I think they'll appeal,' Lyon told SEN Breakfast. 'No-one could reasonably think that they weren't going to get to that football. (Evans) thought Steven May was going to get there first.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Luke Beveridge thinks about Chris Grant's no-show
There's long been rumours of a rift, but Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says it would have been great to acknowledge Chris Grant's contribution to the club at Monday night's gala celebration. The Bulldogs named their five greatest players at Monday's gala, with Ted Whitten coming in at No.1, ahead of current captain Marcus Bontempelli, Grant, Gary Dempsey and Doug Hawkins. Grant was a notable absentee from the celebrations, with the Bulldogs great still reportedly feeling wounded from his sudden exit from the club eight months ago. 25 of the greatest all together. ❤️ — Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) July 21, 2025 The 52-year-old, who played 341 games for the Bulldogs, was in the director of football role before leaving abruptly in November last year following a reported falling out with Beveridge. It ended Grant's 30-year association with the Bulldogs. Grant has remained silent about the issue that resulted in him leaving, with the club great keen to avoid adding fuel to the fire. Beveridge addressed Grant's absence from the gala when questioned about it during his weekly press conference on Thursday. "It would have been great to have Chris there, for him, especially when you consider the impact he's had on our football club," Beveridge said. "Even in the struggling times when the club wasn't financial and our survival was questioned, Granty was a critical figure on the playing field and through that journey to show his loyalty. "So it would have been great to have been able to acknowledge Chris as part of that recognised 25, but unfortunately he wasn't there. "It didn't diminish the celebration, we celebrated everyone that was there."The ninth-placed Bulldogs (10-8) will be aiming to keep their finals hopes alive when they take on struggling Essendon (6-11) at Marvel Stadium on Friday night. This week's re-signing of Bontempelli until the end of 2029 has given the Bulldogs a pep in their step, and the skipper used the moment to signal his wish for Port Adelaide star Zak Butters to join him at the kennel. Butters, who grew up a Bulldogs fan, will become a free agent at the end of 2026, and Beveridge doesn't mind his players doing their utmost to lure rival stars their way. "I can't stop our players from talking about who they'd love to have as teammates," Beveridge said. "But I've got a personal approach to it. I spoke about Matt Rowell the other week because I knew he was going to re-sign at Gold Coast. "So it wasn't like a public overture. As far as a player like Zak, who every club has a great opinion of, I don't want to be over the top with anything in regards to him. "He's still contracted, so the ball's in Port Adelaide's court."
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Luke Beveridge happy for players to publicly recruit opposition players to the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is happy for his players to publicly court recruiting targets, including Port Adelaide star Zak Butters, but he won't be joining in. The premiership coach's call came as Beveridge declared his team's defensive weaknesses were not as bad as critics have suggested, pointing to it as a historical strength with the 'reality' of needing to win every game to play finals ever present. Newly re-signed Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli this week singled out Butters, who will become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season and grew up as a Bulldogs supporter, as someone he'd like to join him at the Kennel. 'I love watching him as a footballer,' Bontempelli said, declaring as captain he felt getting involved in luring players to the club was part of his role. 'If we happen to end up in the same team, I'd be pretty happy about that too.' Beveridge said he wouldn't try to curtail his players making such desires public but wouldn't go 'over the top' himself despite recently confessing to conversations with Gold Coast star Matt Rowell before he stayed loyal to the Suns. 'I can't stop our players talking about who they would like to have as teammates,' he said on Thursday. 'But I've got a personal approach, I spoke about Matt Rowell because I knew he was going to re-sign at Gold Coast, it wasn't like a public overture. 'But as far as a player like Zac, who every club has a great opinion of, I don't want to be over the top with anything in regards to him. He's still contracted, the ball is in Port Adelaide's court. 'But I can't stop our players expressing their desire.' The Bulldogs are chasing their tails to make the finals having beaten only one team above them on the ladder, with questions raised about their defensive deficiencies against the top teams. Beveridge conceded it was an area of improvement but said the systems were in place – it was just about execution – and could be corrected enough to get them the wins they need, starting with a Friday night showdown against Essendon. 'It's interesting, and sometimes little history lessons are important,' Beveridge said at his weekly press conference. 'If I asked you who was the best defensive team on aggregate, so conceding the least amount of points going into last year's finals series, do you know who it was? It was us. We were the best defensive team going into the finals last year. 'Has our philosophy and my philosophy and how we coach and teach the defensive system changed? Absolutely not. 'The execution is the responsibility of all of us. 'We weren't the best offensive team last year, but we are this year, so that's encouraging. 'You need a healthy blend and against the more high achieving teams, they have been able to score too heavily. 'We know we can improve. We seek that out.'
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Sad truth as legend misses Western Bulldogs celebration
Bulldogs legend Chris Grant was the big name missing from the Western Bulldogs' centenary gala on Monday night. On a special night for the football club, it was sad for many fans to see Grant did not attend the event as rumours of a rift between the former centre half-forward and club officials continue to swirl. As first reported by Channel 9's Tom Morris, Grant was not at the Whitten Oval gala where the club celebrated its 25 greatest players of the past 100 years. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. It is a concerning update following months of rumours the 52-year-old fell out with sections of the club before his departure as football department boss last year. According to Code Sports in March, Grant and Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge were not on speaking terms towards the end of the 2024 season. Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains in February, 2024, said there had been 'tensions in many quarters' but denied there was a rift between Grant and Beveridge, saying those reports had been 'grossly exaggerated'. However, it is clear the dynamic deteriorated, leading to Grant's decision to step down in November — ending his 31 years with the club. Since debuting with the club in 1990 as a 17-year-old, Grant developed into one of the club's greatest players, twice winning the Charles Sutton Medal. He was named captain in 2001. His retirement in 2007 was the end of an era. Grant was loved on and off the field as a loyal club servant, reportedly turning down a monster contract offer from Port Adelaide to stay with the Bulldogs during his playing career. He was appointed to the club's board of directors in 2011 and moved into a role as football department boss in 2016 to oversee the men's and women's teams. Both sides won premierships, in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Grant's decision to step down came after the Bulldogs created a new position in 2023 which created distance between him and senior coach Beveridge. Former Geelong defender Matthew Egan was appointed as general manager of football operations following a review of the club's football department. It meant Beveridge no longer reported to Grant directly. According to The Age, Grant's role shifted to focus more on the club's AFLW program. It is clear Grant's messy split from the club cut deep, judging by his no-shows at recent club events. 'One person who isn't here is Chris Grant, who had an acrimonious split with the club last year when he was the club football boss,' Morris said on 9News. 'He missed the Round 2 gala at the MCG. And he's also missing tonight, saying he's unavailable.' 25 of the greatest all together. â�¤ï¸� — Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) July 21, 2025 Grant missed the club's 100 year celebration — against Collingwood in March — with the club saying he was overseas at the time. He played 300 games for the club and it would have been fitting for Grant to attend both of this year's big events. His farewell statement in 2024 showed how sad his separation from the club has been. 'I've spent over half of my life with the club as a player and administrator and will cherish the many memories we have created together at the Western Bulldogs,' Grant said. 'While the decision to pause and map out the next stage of my professional career has not been an easy one, I leave knowing the club is in a great position to succeed and write the next chapter in the amazing history of the red, white and blue.' Six living Brownlow medallists, including recently distant 2008 medallist Adam Cooney, attended the March celebration where greats of the club were recognised before the game on the MCG playing surface. Club champions, including Brad Johnson, Doug Hawkins, Rohan Smith, Scott West and Bob Murphy were present. It has been a turbulent time at The Kennel in recent years with the departure of several football department figures, but the club has banked on stability in handing Beveridge a two-year contract extension through to the end of the 2027 season. The Bulldogs have not won a final since 2021.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AFL superstar Bontempelli makes call on Bulldogs future
The Western Bulldogs have finalised a four-year deal that keeps superstar Marcus Bontempelli at the Whitten Oval until the end of the 2029 season. The highest-profile player in the AFL coming out-of-contract, the Dogs captain is going nowhere after signing a new four-year deal. "I've had a few different things happening - getting married in the off-season, opening a small coffee shop out in Kew - but ultimately it is no different to how I've dealt with other things in the past," Bontempelli said. "It's an important decision to spend the right amount of time. "This club means so much to me, it's hard to put it into a few words to be honest. "It is where I have grown as a man and spent all of my adult years coming here at 18. "When I think about the person I want to become it has been influenced by the people I have spent a lot of time with at the Western Bulldogs. "I owe so much from a footballing experience perspective but I think I really owe a lot of my maturing as a person and as a man to the football club. "For me, it's such a special place, the fans, the people that have supported me along the way. "I've never not felt supported by our people here at the club. "I feel incredibly lucky to have had that for so long." 👀 — Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) July 22, 2025 Confirmation of the news comes a night after Bontempelli was named the club's second-greatest ever player, only behind the legendary Ted Whitten. Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was excited about Bontempelli's future when asked about it last Wednesday: "I think we're getting close, but that's all I can really say." The 29-year-old has played 253 games for the Bulldogs after being taken with pick four in the 2013 draft. A tall, big-bodied midfielder, Bontempelli made his mark on the competition instantly. Bontempelli won the first of his six Charles Sutton medals as the Bulldogs' best-and-fairest in 2016, the season the club broke a 62-year premiership drought. The signing is a boost for the Bulldogs following two-straight defeats that has them sitting outside of the top-eight ahead of the final five weeks of the season.
