Luke Beveridge has brushed aside suggestions that Bailey Smith’s move to Geelong will add an emotional twist to Thursday night’s clash at GMHBA Stadium, insisting the Bulldogs are focused on their path.
The highly anticipated encounter marks the first time the Dogs will face Smith since his off-season switch to the Cats.
Smith, who missed all of 2024 due to an ACL injury, has made a strong impression in his new colours, sparking interest not just for his form, but for the narrative surrounding his departure from “The Kennel”.
But Beveridge isn’t biting.
MORE: Luke Beveridge cheeky quip about Geelong crowd ahead of Bulldogs visit
“It doesn’t come into discussions with our preparation, with our planning tactically and the way we build ourselves up for the game,” he said, speaking ahead of the match. “The emotional part of it has got to do with us, our journey and what we can achieve in this one.”
'It won’t be any different' – Beveridge plays a straight bat
Smith stirred the pot recently by taking a swipe at the club’s Ballarat home games, but Beveridge remains unruffled.
“That is a bit of by-play, the theatre attached to the game in Bailey being a Geelong player now,” he said. “The key individuals in the Geelong team transcend just Bailey… Bailey is a consideration, absolutely.”
MORE: Dangerfield added to lengthy Geelong casualty ward
As for how his players will handle their former teammate, Beveridge shrugged off any idea of special treatment. “I don’t think he’ll get anything different to what you normally see from us,” he said. “We don’t go out of our way to antagonise and get underneath anyone’s skin unnecessarily.”
In trademark fashion, Beveridge closed on a light note, teasing the expected crowd in Geelong. “I won’t say it … but it’s taken for the Bulldogs to go down there for them to almost pack out their stadium,” he joked.