Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge couldn’t resist a dig at Geelong fans ahead of Thursday night’s blockbuster clash at GMHBA Stadium, cheekily suggesting it’s taken a Bulldogs visit to nearly fill the ground.
The match is shaping up to be one of the season’s most talked-about, not least because of Bailey Smith’s first outing against his former club.
The 24-year-old midfielder has been in blistering form and hasn’t held back in his public commentary since leaving the Bulldogs at the end of last season.
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His swipe earlier this month at the Dogs' part-time Ballarat home, "Beautiful mate. Not getting that at Ballarat", after a win in front of a big MCG crowd, has added extra spice to the already heated fixture.
‘Almost packed out the stadium’
Asked yet again about Smith during his pre-match presser, Beveridge momentarily hesitated before landing a playful blow of his own.
“It’s taken the Bulldogs to go down there for them to almost pack out their stadium,” he said with a grin. “I don’t know what that means for ‘Baz’… I know what the headline is going to be now.”
While he acknowledged the emotional narrative surrounding Smith’s return, Beveridge emphasised that his team’s focus remained squarely on their campaign.
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“There’s theatre attached to the game,” he said. “But that doesn’t come into discussions with our preparation, with our planning tactically and the way we build ourselves up for the game.”
Smith, meanwhile, is being talked about as a genuine Brownlow Medal contender, now second favourite behind Collingwood’s Nick Daicos. But Beveridge insisted the Bulldogs’ approach won’t change.
“We don’t go out of our way to antagonise and get under anyone’s skin unnecessarily,” he said. “There’s obviously a combative aspect, and there’s a verbal aspect of the game that exists every week, no matter who you play.”