On Monday, Beveridge mounted a fierce defence of the talented forward on Fox Footy, saying all Weightman’s free kicks were valid and urged journalists to “have some respect for the kid”.

Weightman has relished the Bulldogs’ support and this week extended his contract to the end of 2027.

“Cody plays probably the hardest position on the ground – the small forward role, the challenge of it is never gonna go away and even to survive in that position is tough,” Beveridge said on Friday.

“Just in general, the commentary, I mentioned the word respect on a personal level for the players because I think, importantly with the scrutiny that the players are exposed to, through social media and whether people have been drinking or gambling or whatever it may be, it’s quite extreme.

“So for us who are in the game – and I feel like journalists by and large, have good hearts and there’s integrity in what they do – have a think about a player in the personal aspect of what they do before you write or say things.

“I’ll always go into protection mode for our players – more from a personal point of view, as much as the player having a professional connection with the club.”