A fortnight from hell has seen the Western Bulldogs lose consecutive matches against the 16th and 18th-ranked sides of the competition, in all likelihood costing themselves a finals berth in the process.
They would defy all logic and reason should they earn a top-eight spot at season's end, needing to defeat Geelong at the Cattery for the first time in two decades and hoping Carlton hold up its end by quelling the Giants at Marvel Stadium.
In back-to-back weeks, senior coach Luke Beveridge has been out-coached while matched against a far inferior squad.
Sam Mitchell's Hawks were hungry and were probably hinting at an upset after a run of form that saw them knock off flag-fancies Collingwood.
West Coast, however, was fresh off a 101-point belting at the hands of Fremantle in the Western derby, lowering the Eagles' record to 2-19. West Coast showed no indication of rebounding the way it did against the Bulldogs.
Beveridge may have set the tone himself pre-game, admitting to the Fox Footyย commentary team that there was "a little bit of trepidation" ahead of the match.
"We came off last week unhappy with a fair few things," he stated pre-game.
"I'm on edge about how the game's going to start and getting momentum, and I think the boys are as well."
The match could not have started any more fittingly, as the Eagles burst out of the blocks to gain a near-five-goal advantage halfway through the first quarter.
From there, the Bulldog players were visually tentative; fumbling, missing kicks, and appearing fatigued as if there was little to play for.
It quickly became 'Bontempelli or bust', as the skipper appeared one of few players up for the Sunday afternoon fight.
His 32 disposals, 10 tackles, and a goal may have come in yet another three-vote performance wasted by the remaining squad.
Trailing by nine points at three-quarter-time, a Beveridge spray should have preceded a convincing run-away victory to keep the Dogs' season alive, especially given West Coast's well-documented fitness management struggles.
Instead, the Bulldogs quickly surrendered four goals to send the modest Marvel Stadium crowd into a panic, as fans pondered the potential consequences of the tragedy they were witnessing.
The final siren decided a 92-85 defeat, conceding West Coast's second-largest score for the entire season in a match they probably wanted to lose.
SEE ALSO: 2023 INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER.
A despondent Beveridge addressed the media post-match and admitted that his side was simply outplayed by a determined Eagles outfit.
"I don't think we took West Coast easy," he stated on Sunday.ย "They came with a tenacity that trumped ours at the start of the game."
He was challenged about the state of the club's list, which many believe to be of top-four quality.
He seemed to subtly deny this belief, however, stating: "You can only assess our list based on what you see.
"Are you looking at our whole list? Are you looking at players who have been influential in the past?
"Is your knowledge of the game sophisticated enough to understand that it takes more than a handful?"
Alas, even the casual observer can recognise that Beveridge is working with far more than a handful.
Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore, Tim English, Adam Treloar, Jack Macrae, Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Liam Jones, Bailey Dale, Ed Richards, Caleb Daniel, Liam Jones, Bailey Smith and Cody Weightman: All 14 players are either stars of the competition, projected stars of the competition, or recently named All-Australians.
That list does not include their Norm Smith medallist Jason Johanissen and another future father-son star Sam Darcy.
Still, Luke Beveridge has maintained that he is the man for the club's future and that he just needs to imbue the confidence that is currently missing.
"I just need to continue to pump belief into them in whatever shape or form I can," the 2016 premiership coach added.
"I'm really comfortable with my tenure."
Public faith in Beveridge seems to be relinquishing quickly, though, and a potential Round 24 loss could spell the end for the Western Bulldogs' mentor if the board seeks drastic change in the off-season.
