Luke Beveridge: The storyteller, the dreamer | AFL 360 | Fox Footy

for mother [Music] father as we March into the future it's important that um my place at the football club is almost demanded and needed um if it's time for change we we just all need to make that decision together do you want to stay oh absolutely I'm I've still got a lot of energy you know and uh and it is my 10th year and one one more year on paper the other thing is I could do something wrong you know and I need to go and the board sacks me but you know I don't believe I'll ever Lo lose a playing list or playing group I just don't think the third thing will ever happen while we're trying to get there um sometimes we're going to go through some testing times uh but there's change of foot we're really healthy and um it's a great environment and we we just feel like we can really G some momentum at momentum they did gain the Ashley and Martin turning point of the Bulldog season they were the most compelling work we've had spoken by a coach at this desk the season as it unfolded and they were matched by the actions Luke beverage the Bulldogs coach Is With Us Again Luke it's always great to have you with us on 360 welcome thanks for having me Jared and robot every season has its own journey and this does give a moment for pause you reached the early waterl at the hands of Hawthorne have you had a bit of a think across the course of the Season while you've been plotting and scheming for what's to come next yeah we I mean it's been a lot of uh reflection and and reflection points there's no doubt about it and I when the hwks beat us unbeknownst to many they were about to get on the March themselves and they've been a a great story of inspiration and growth this year the walks and um and so you know anytime we uh were sat on our backsides it was a good opportunity for us to work through some challenges and um you know we I'm really proud of how the players and all our staff really came together and um worked really diligently and it times courageously uh with a really firm resolve and belief in what we're about and and I think you know we get to the end of the year and um you know we're number one on defensive agregate number two for scores four it it kind of you know Franks what we uh what we thought we we might be able to do if we got our assembly right and um you know we we going to this Friday night with some momentum B there was a video put out on the on on after the game against B where you spoke to the players and it's not often that we see an exuberant Luke beverage and you and and you swore and congratulated him and the and the players responded on mass and I just heard you say to us during the year hey I don't think I'll ever lose the players right now did you ever think there was a chance that you were and then leading up to that last game and that response do you feel you've just totally and utterly got this group oh my commitments always been true to been true to myself Robo and um live two or three throwaways and one of the really firm ones is I I put the person before the player and whether you're a manager in a in industry and you care about the people you work for and you the best for them but you're also willing to work um well for the organization or whether it's being the coach of an AFL club and you want people to grow and be conscientious and be good people but you know you're also want to play good footy and and so you treat I treat our people with enormous amount of respect and care and so I I don't think that there will ever be a point where people question that and and so if you finish and you live and die by that kind of motto I'm okay with it and uh it was unsettling there's no doubt at different stages early in the season because of the external noise but um it doesn't I didn't none of us wave it in our um our commitment to each other so yeah I I think that outpouring of emotion after the game in Ballarat I kind of had to do it you know it was a great milestone in our year uh the previous year we weren't in control of our own destiny we' faltered at different times and this year we had the opportunity to to win that last game and not even have to worry about the next you know two games and and the results and um and so I was just so pleased for everyone that the players were able to go out and do what they did I love the access I think all football supporters would love the access listening to a coach talk to his players I was really really touched to when you spoke about dreaming big you said this is it it's time for dreams and if we know you as a coach B you're a you're a you're a Storyteller you're a dreamer when when do you decide on the story line leading into to this week has that already been decided what's today Tuesday I'm sure it has when did you decide what the storyline was going to be in in your dream making this week well your own story starts way back when you restart the start of the pre-season and and I plan that way and you do um put certain things in place and um initiate different themes and and you hope at the end of the year that um that can all come back to roost and you can make something of it because it sort of heightens your sense of emotion around each other for a start and uh and then it becomes this sort of uh you don't necessarily reach critical mass until you know you might make the end of it all but um but you become your own inspiration and I you know our players quite inspiring to each other and our supporters and and so yeah there's some internal symbolism and and mottos and and theming and things that the players have have leveraged off over the journey things that test you um when it when it comes to your commitment and your integrity and and our players have just Shone through and and so I you know as going to Friday night we all have to be honest there's um there's a sense of nervousness and a great sense of anticipation because of what might be gained but what could be lost and um we don't um try and Dodge that but we do build up connection and and the fact that we've got to this point through a you know a great um Spirit within the group and and the people our people who support our players twice you've orchestrated a team from outside the top four to make the Grand Final Luke is you're not trying to recreate history but what what do you draw on from the past knowing that it can be done it has been done and and and you've done it yeah there's always a commonality Jared uh in my time as a coach whether it's back when I took on the challenge at some beads or some beads man or or you know with the dogs now it's it is definitely making sure that you just focus on the now and what's in front um but you know it's okay for your thought process and your your emotions to wander a little bit um and so quite simply when you when you compare what your opportunity might be if you finish up a bit higher and and what it you finish in the bottom for um you know you you might have to play one more game um you got to win four in a row but the task for the the top four side is still quite significant you still got to win uh three so it's it's not a lot different uh when you think of it like that is it no it's about the players we'll talk about them in in one second Luke but your relationship with your opponent Sam Mitchell you're at Hawthorne 1345 you you you coached Sam can can you describe the relation ship you built up then and has it survived and thrived since then or has life taken you apart yeah I have a deep affection for Sam Robo I was fortunate enough to um to spend some time with him you know in the three years I was at Hawthorne and and Sam was an Australian halfback during that period because and nothing to do with my coaching as I said off there he was telling me what to do um but he uh he so forthright in his leadership and and obviously a great player you know with limitations but unbelievable strengths and um and so now he's been through you know some really challenging times to to now build the momentum and and the growth in in the group with his with his staff and his players uh they've been inspirational on their own terms and I did I did send him a message today and um we'll show hands after the anthem and you know I wish I said to him I you know I wish you all the best but that's really Beyond Friday night if you happen to go on because I don't wish you the best at all on Friday night and with it um but he's you know he's done an enormous job and I'm I'm ra we we sat other um at the awards night the other night and uh I I'm I'm glad I'm so happy for him that they're going well we asked uh Sam just before about the threat of your your point of difference which is your your key forwards I'm not saying that's your whole game Luke but that's a real a real weapon for you and that's going to worry the opposition reverse that I would suspect that their small forward Brigade there's about five or six of them they probably given you cause of uh of plenty of thinking is that a fair enough comment yeah they've been impressive the small forwards and they as you said they provided significant headaches for everyone they've played and uh we know that's going to be a challenge I get up and back they a bit like gws G gws when they've got their full quarter in as well uh which we didn't necessarily face last week with Bedford and Daniels being out uh so we respect that we as an 18 on the field we're going to need to make sure we get certain things right um but I I suppose with both their small forwards and our key forward there is a degree of Youth and and sometimes it can be your killes heel you know I these experiences and new and uh and some of our our dips in games this year uh you can you pointed towards different things but uh now this the magnitude of an elimination Final in front of hopefully you know n0 odd th000 what an occasion for um for some of the younger guys in in on both teams and also the the more experienced guys to uh to live through what an occasion indeed Luke thanks for priming us for it the very best of luck come Friday night thanks Jared thanks robot thanks you Luke beverage the Bulldogs coach what about that the balance between what might be gained and what could be lost