Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge believes he is the right man to take the team forward with their season teetering on disaster.
Despite looking like having a finals spot sewed up a month ago, the Bulldogs have lost three of their past four games, including a shock defeat to West Coast, to drop out of the top eight with one season match remaining.
The Sporting News looks at the coaching situation at the Bulldogs.
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What did Luke Beveridge say about his Western Bulldogs coaching future?
Speaking after the upset seven-point loss to West Coast at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, Beveridge felt he wasn't under pressure in his role and insisted he was the right man to be coach.
"Absolutely," Beveridge said in his post-match press conference, when asked if he should continue to be in charge of the Bulldogs.
"Sometimes you need to evolve, and if at the moment, we're in this sort of static area of a performance point of view, we'll work out why it is.
"But from a leadership perspective and coaching the team and the club, I'm really comfortable with my tenure."
Why is the pressure rising on Luke Beveridge?
The Bulldogs were in fifth position a month ago and looked set to play finals with lowly teams Hawthorn and West Coast to come.
But after losing three of the past four matches, against GWS and most recently consecutive defeats versus the Hawks and Eagles, the ninth-placed Bulldogs finals fate is out of the hands.
Even if they manage to defeat Geelong at GMHBA Stadium, a venue they haven't won at for 20 years, the Bulldogs need Carlton to also beat GWS at Marvel Stadium in the final match of the round.
Missing the finals will significantly ramp up the pressure on Beveridge, with the Bulldogs perceived by critics to have a list that should be playing in the post-season.
Luke Beveridge career at the Western Bulldogs
Beveridge coached the Bulldogs to their first premiership in 62 years when they knocked off Sydney in the 2016 AFL Grand Final.
He also led the Bulldogs to the 2021 AFL Grand Final, where they were thrashed by Melbourne.
However, despite reaching a Grand Final on two occasions, Beveridge has never led the Dogs to a top-four finish, with their best ladder result fifth in 2021.
