Luke Beveridge is the man the Western Bulldogs should stick with in a bid to move forward.
That is the opinion of former Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade who believes there is no reason to move on from the 2016 premiership coach just yet.
There have been multiple calls for the Dogs to part ways with Beveridge after what many perceive to be a failed season which has the club sitting ninth on the ladder ahead of a must-win Round 24 clash with Geelong.
However, Eade suggests Beveridge still has plenty to offer, but only if he can evolve, tweak things on the run and change his messaging.
“I think he should be there, no doubt,” Eade said on SEN’s Whateley.
“They won a flag, I know that was a while ago, but he’s (also) got them to a Grand Final (in 2021).
“The problem with judging players or clubs or coaches is we always look at the negative side, the glass half-empty. I think we should look at the glass half-full about what he has done.
“They haven’t made a top four and people will say that, but that’s not here nor there to a degree.
“I think as a coach, and Chris Grant and maybe Luke Darcy as the directors who know football, is they need to change some things. There’s no doubt.
“Whether that’s changing Luke and the way he goes about it. Whether it’s game plan, whether it’s his message, whether it’s selection, whether it’s a whole range of different things, tactics, whatever the case may be.
“They need change. (Alastair) Clarkson was good at it Hawthorn, changing game styles. You’re actually giving a different message because you’re educating something different, so it keeps the players fresh to a degree.
“All coaches know if you can last seven to 10 years you’ve done a good job. But then it’s a bit like (Damien) Hardwick at Richmond when he’s saying he was running dry.
“It does happen, so as a coach you’ve got to evolve and change things differently.”
Eade, who led the club to Preliminary Finals in 2008, 2009 and 2010, admits the Dogs have not met expectations in what has been a disappointing 2023 campaign.
“The expectations were high, so everyone is disappointed, especially media and certainly supporters,” he added.
“I would think they have a list good enough, not counting injuries, of being certainly in the eight, but probably top six.
“I think your expectations on any team should be higher than what you think. If you think you’re going to make the eight, well, let’s aim for top six. You should have lofty expectations.
“As coaches we go in to modify the narrative to take the heat and pressure off. Maybe it’s a way of protecting the players and the club.
“It’s certainly been a disappointing season. All the figures indicate that the Dogs haven’t got to the level that they expect as well, let alone the supporters and the media.”
However, the Dogs can still save face if they qualify for finals, but in order to do that they have to beat the Cats at GMHBA Stadium and hope Carlton defeats GWS on Sunday night.
DOGS FOOTBALL BOSS SAYS THERE’S “NO CHANCE” UNDER-PRESSURE BEVERIDGE IS SACKED