Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has hit back at “disrespectful” comments surrounding the form of midfielder Bailey Smith
Beveridge jumped to the defence of his 22-year-old star after he was held to just 11 disposals in last weekend’s loss to Collingwood.
“Post-game he was sick,” Beveridge said on Tuesday.
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“Speculation around whether or not he should be at another club or not, it’s just disrespectful.”
Beveridge’s support came with Smith’s status for Thursday night’s clash against the Sydney Swans still unclear due to his illness.
The Bulldogs coach was also adamant that the club is providing ample wellbeing support for their players, particularly after footage surfaced of Smith running laps of Marvel Stadium post their round 14 win over North Melbourne.
Smith collected an impressive 19 disposals in that win, with the extra running drills concerning AFL great Matthew Lloyd, who suggested the midfielder needed to be “saved”.
But the Bulldogs coach said his relationship with Smith was in a strong spot.
“We’ve got a really good track record here with our players and our program … sometimes, that just can be a bit pungent,” Beveridge said.
“All we’ve done here is look after Bailey, and yesterday him and I with our communications were in a really good place.
“We’re hoping whether it’s this year or into next year that he finds his way to his absolute best, and we’ve just got to help him.”
Pressure around Smith’s form comes after a recent slump, but Beveridge lauded the young star for his transparency around his personal issues away from football, which Smith has previously been vocal about.
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“He’s had some real challenges, he’s had injury, he’s had time out of the game, he’s been quite open with the mental health side of it,” Beveridge said.
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“We all see the potential of a young man who should be a really influential player in the competition.”
The Bulldogs face the 15th-placed Swans on Thursday night at the SCG in a must-win match to keep their finals chances alive.
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