Bulldogs coach’s telling admission as speculation intensifies on Bailey Smith’s future
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has conceded his confidence levels over Bailey Smith staying at the club have started to “wane”, with the injured midfielder yet to give any indication he will sign a new contract.
Smith is rehabbing a season-ending ACL injury and at various stages has been given time away from the club to aid his recovery that has fuelled speculation of a potential exit as a raft of potential suitors chase the 23-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Having re-signed All-Australian ruckman Tim English to a five-year deal this week, after locking away tall forwards Aaron Naughton and Jamara Ugle-Hagan and with a deal imminent for rising star Sam Darcy, the lack of action with Smith has been telling.
Beveridge said there was nothing in his relationship with Smith that he needed to “fix” in order to keep him at Whitten Oval, and he didn’t feel the need to push for a decision as he wouldn’t with any players weighing up a move.
But he said the longer things went without a commitment didn’t bode well.
“I don’t feel like we need to force it if it comes out early because that’s the player’s choice, if they’d like to let the club know,” he said on Friday.
“I think there’s just too much to play out still at the end of the year, whenever that may be, and sometimes it’s just no certainty from the other end. And players might have more than one option and they’re considering things, so I don’t think players are necessarily in a position to tell their club if they are moving.
“But when a player hasn’t told you that he’s staying, then, you know, as time goes on, your confidence levels start to wane a little bit.”
Despite that concession, Beveridge said he wasn’t “resigned” to Smith leaving.
“There are always things you can do. I mean, there’s the negotiation around contracts. It’s obviously the byplay between managers, and that happens behind the scenes,” he said.
“And I’ve got a great relationship with Bailey, so that’s not a concern of mine that I need to somehow fix something that isn’t an issue.
“But there are some levers that you can grab onto and drag it down. The intentions and what the possibilities might be for the individual, they could never be black and white for the club that they play at, because it’s too much conversation that we’re not privy to.”
After a shock loss to the Adelaide Crows last week, the Bulldogs have to beat North Melbourne to keep their finals hopes alive and “earn the right” to talk about a possible deep run into September.
“My approach to it is always, you’ve got to earn the right, the right to be able to talk about it,” he said.
“We haven’t earned it yet. We’ve done a lot of work to get ourselves to the point where we have a chance and now we need to capitalise.”
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