Veteran AFL columnist Caroline Wilson has raised questions over whether Luke Beveridge is fit to continue coaching after his controversial outburst at a journalist.
Beveridge launched at Fox Footy journalist Tom Morris following his side’s 26-point loss to Melbourne in the season-opener last night, taking umbrage at a report from Morris from earlier in the week regarding his team selection.
The 51-year-old has come in for heavy criticism in the wake of his behaviour during the post-match press conference, and Wilson said his outburst was a sign of “a man unravelling”.
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“I think it’s bigger than the AFL looking at fining Luke Beveridge, which they certainly will,” Wilson told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell.
“He brought the game into disrepute. I think it should be a six-figure fine, but I think Luke Beveridge needs to look at whether he’s equipped to coach.
“Who invokes the mental health and wellbeing card over a selection story? I’ve never seen anything so disgraceful in all my years of covering football.
“It is a man who’s clearly not coping. I don’t think he’s equipped to be looking after the futures of 30 young men quite frankly.
“There’s an issue going on at the Bulldogs and there’s a sign of fragility that concerns me. He’s going to keep coaching, but he needs help because that is not a normal reaction.”
Wilson was one of many football personalities who took aim at Beveridge, who has developed a reputation for somewhat personal attacks at the media during his time at the Bulldogs.
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes said both he and veteran AFL reporter Damian Barrett, who Beveridge has notably attacked in the past, were rejected from access to the Bulldogs after last year’s grand final.
“We were there in Perth for Channel 9 who made contact with the Western Bulldogs and also Melbourne in the lead up to the grand final to say this is what we do and are you ok with Damian Barrett and Kane Cornes coming to your facility if you win the Grand Final?,” he recalled on SEN.
“Melbourne (said), ‘Yep, no worries, full access, all the players you want’. Western Bulldogs said, ‘Nah, not letting them in’.
“There’s history between Luke Beveridge and Damian Barrett and all of that and I understand it, that’s the club’s prerogative.
“But how precious is Luke Beveridge and this football club?
“He has got a real beef with the media and it’s to his own detriment. He should be focusing on what went wrong in the grand final and how he allowed the opposition to kick 17 out of 18 goals, then what went on to start the game last night to allow Melbourne to kick the first four goals of the game.
“More so than a journalist doing his job about a selection story that is inconsequential to the result. I’d be a little bit concerned about how he’s going and hopefully he is all OK because that was a poor performance last night.”
Cornes’ comments came after both Nathan Buckley and Garry Lyon had also been critical of Beveridge’s actions.
“I think when Bevo looks back at that, he’ll go ‘I wish I had my time again’,” Buckley said on Fox Footy.
“To say that Tom has taken advantage of (an informational leak) is like putting an Easter egg in front of a five-year-old kid and expecting him not to eat it when you walk out of the room.
“It’s there, it’s a free hit, and that is Tom’s job to share information that comes across, to check it, verify it and then share it.”
“That’s a poor reflection on him as a coach in this instance,” Lyon added.
“I know Luke, I know him well, I know how passionate he is, I know how hard he defends his turf, but he’s let himself down in this instance.
“Luke doesn’t get to invite who comes to the press conference and who asks questions.”