After losing to Fremantle in the finals, Luke Beveridge claims the Western Bulldogs need to be more consistent.
The Bulldogs'
disappointing
season-ending loss to Fremantle came after they allowed a sizable lead to slip.
Coach Luke Beveridge is unable to rule out a hangover from the Western Bulldogs' devastating grand final loss from last year following their finals loss to Fremantle, which has led to more concerns about their lack of consistency in 2022.
On Saturday night, the Bulldogs were left in disbelief as the Dockers stormed home to win by a final score of 13 points, despite having a lead of up to 41 points and keeping Fremantle scoreless until the 20-minute mark of the second quarter.
At Perth Stadium, Fremantle won by a score of 11.7 (73) to 8.12 (60), scoring 11 of the final 13 goals.
Luke Beveridge's team will be left to regret a terrible fade-out that reminded them of their previous trip to the west in September, when they lost to Melbourne in the grand final the previous year.
In the championship game in Perth, the Dogs had a 19-point lead at the half before the Demons scored 16 of the game's final 17 goals to turn the tide.
Coach Beveridge insisted that his team hadn't lost their composure and warned against drawing comparisons between Saturday's defeat and their grand final loss.
He acknowledged that it was challenging to determine whether the "trauma" of that defeat persisted throughout the season.
The Bulldogs' 2021 grand final defeat to Melbourne, according to coach Luke Beveridge, may have left some lasting effects on the team.
No matter whether it occurred or not, he said, "It's difficult to understand any sort of magnitude on that."
"At different times, we thought we were definitely getting past that, especially after one or two of the big wins.
But each of us as individuals would say, "I think I can be more consistent," when considering what we are capable of.
"That's what we need to aim for next year," he said.
The Bulldogs' disappointing season, during which they rarely attained the heights of their grand final run in 2022, came to an end with the loss.
The sons of the west had their victories, defeating top-four finishers Sydney and Melbourne.
The difference between a season-ending trip to Perth and a home elimination final, or even a chance at breaking into the top four, was made by losses to Carlton, Adelaide, and Port Adelaide, all of whom missed out on September action, as well as to Richmond and Fremantle, who finished above them.
Early on, the Bulldogs hushed the Perth crowd and sprinted to a commanding lead, but they were unable to maintain it as the home team rushed to the finish line.
Beveridge said, "We were up by 40, it's a significant swing, and it's bloody disappointing."
Marcus Bontempelli, who was outstanding for the Dogs in their grand-final loss, was outstanding once more on the big stage, scoring twice in the opening period and having a significant impact on the midfield battle.
The Bulldogs were comfortably ahead in contested possessions, inside-50s, and tackles at the first half thanks in large part to the early success of Bailey Smith and Adam Treloar.
The visitors had a 41-point lead when Josh Dunkley scored the opening goal of the second period, giving the Dockers no chance.
But motivated by a sold-out crowd, Fremantle responded with a major by Michael Walters that ended a drought and started a stunning comeback.
Beveridge, who was dissatisfied, claimed that his team's decision-making and ball usage had been "chipping away at consistency."
"Most of that was correct when we started. For a sizable portion of the second half, we then got it wrong. I can only be so direct, "he said
