Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is reportedly on the radar of rival club Melbourne as the Demons face an uncertain future with current coach Simon Goodwin.
Goodwin steered the Demons to their first premiership in 54 years in 2021, however, a tumultuous 18-month period has seen the club's talented list fall from grace, placing 14th in 2024 and beginning 2025 with an 0-5 record.
The off-field speculation has been just as damaging as the club's on-field record too, with star midfielders Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca both reportedly attempting to seek trades from the club last off-season, while Oliver was amongst trade rumours in 2023 also.
Petracca and Oliver sought a change of scenery for opposing yet both telling reasons. Petracca was dissatisfied with the way the club had handled his life-threatening injuries sustained in the King's Birthday Clash last year, while Oliver's trip to Geelong came off the back of feeling discarded after Melbourne heard offers for the 27-year-old from rival clubs.
The off-field dysfunction has clearly impacted the club on-field again this season, with the persistent speculation still eating at the Demons in 2025. Now after an 0-5 start to the season, pressure turns to Goodwin and whether he can maintain his position at the helm.
Goodwin said post-game he is "incredibly confident" he is the man to lead the Demons, but rival coaches are already making headlines to be his successor.
According to journalist Caroline Wilson, Beveridge is one of those coaches who could be Goodwin's replacement.
"I have no doubt that Luke Beveridge is now very much on Melbourne's radar," Wilson told Channel 7's Agenda Setters.
"It's too early to be calling Simon Goodwin finished at the Melbourne Football Club, but club bosses are now anticipating that as a possibility, and they are declaring that Luke Beveridge would very much be an option for them, the out-of-contract Luke Beveridge, if that was about to eventuate.
"We heard Simon's comments the other night after the Essendon game, he's clearly fighting for his job, and I think the view is with many people at Melbourne, that maybe after a great job - their first premiership coach in decades - the time has come.
"Luke Beveridge is a past player, remains close with many Melbourne past players, and clearly that's not going to get him the job, but Melbourne are really impressed by what Luke Beveridge did, the transformational effect he had when he joined the Western Bulldogs."
The 2016 Jock McHale medallist has never claimed a top-four finish in his tenure but has reached two grand finals and placed in the lower half of the top eight seven times since 2015.
While calls for Beveridge to be moved on spun the rumour mill in 2024, the Bulldogs' competitive 2-3 start to the season without key personnel due to injuries has silenced many critics and concerned supporters.
However, Beveridge has yet to be offered a new deal, leaving cellar-dwelling clubs intriguingly positioned to take a stab at pulling off a coup for his services in 2026 and beyond.
