Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has acknowledged that his team must “own up” to its poor track record against top-eight opponents, though he remains confident they have what it takes to compete deep into finals.
On Thursday night, the Bulldogs comfortably defeated another bottom-tier side, overcoming North Melbourne by 49 points during the Kangaroos’ centenary celebration at Marvel Stadium.
Despite that win, and pending results from Geelong and Hawthorn, the Bulldogs temporarily hold fourth spot on the ladder — but notably, they haven’t claimed a win over a current top-eight team this season.
Beveridge jokingly addressed the concept of needing a “scalp,” before seriously conceding that securing multiple wins over top-ranked sides is crucial if his team wants to build genuine premiership momentum.
“Scalp – we’re not Navajo Indians,” he said, laughing. “I don’t think we need to go that far. But seriously, we need to keep winning to make the most of our position.
“What separates the top teams from the rest is the ability to win the tight contests against strong opposition. So if you’re asking whether we need ‘scalps’ – the simple answer is yes, we need them to finish high on the ladder.”
The Bulldogs will have back-to-back opportunities to prove themselves in the coming weeks with challenging matchups against Adelaide and Brisbane.
Beveridge believes the team is showing signs of improvement when facing strong opponents, but he’s aware they’ll need to lift again to beat the Crows.
“It’s been a solid year overall, and while we’ve fallen short against the top teams, the margins haven’t been big,” he explained.
“Take Sydney for example — even though they’re below us, their game style could challenge any team. That was an important win for us last week.
“Earlier in the year we weren’t on the right side of those results, and we’re not shying away from the fact that these next games will be significant tests.”
Looking ahead to the Adelaide clash, Beveridge praised the Crows’ development and roster additions, admitting that they got the better of the Bulldogs the last time they met in South Australia.
“We saw Adelaide building something late last year, so we’re not surprised by where they are now,” he said. “They dominated us last time – we weren’t at our best. But we’re looking forward to the challenge.
“We have to face up to the fact that we haven’t beaten a team above us yet. We’re in the hunt, but these next few rounds are a chance to prove ourselves.”
