Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge spoke to the media after the game, here’s some of what he said...
Q: How tough is it to take that result?
A: It is tough, you know on a night when the conditions are what they are and it is a real arm wrestle. You fight your way back and you are up by a little bit, and it it means the opposition need to scrounge and fight. To kick their goals, we gave a few up too easy, and when they haven’t been easy to come back, and the opposition get on top of you in an area that you have been extremely strong in, especially the last couple of weeks, coming off stoppages and clearance games, we lowered our colours and lost the handle on it. I thought our backs held up reasonably well, considering, and we just didn’t have enough, you know, contributors as far as the scrap goes to just see it out. So, it is tough, but we have just got to suck it up and move on and refocus on what’s ahead.
Q: Do you think that moment came where it just wasn’t holding up for you anymore, particularly when they get the quick goals on the burst in the last quarter. What was changing for you there?
A: Well, we let the ball drop to the outside from stoppage, and let them trail off shoulders. It is too hard to defend. In conditions like that, any time with ball in hand was scarce, and all of a sudden they had it. So our balance and our organisation, and our control of where that ball was going to end up fell away, and they pounced and they were productive and made some changes. (Willem) Drew went to Marcus (Bontempelli) a bit more, and they subbed their ruckman out, and (Charlie) Dixon went in there and had an influence. And so, they made some good moves, and they worked for them. But ultimately, you know, we were still going well enough to have our nose in front, for it to not be a concern. But ultimately, yeah, it was that scope to chain through those situations.
Q: You conceded the last four goals.
A: The game presents you with no favours and you want to fight for everything, and while we are trying to establish, you know, a foothold on the week-to-week process of where we might be in the scheme of things, you have got to make the most of your games when you are in them, and we have let one slip. The last couple of weeks in last quarters we have been - we have been hard to play against. We fought it out. I’m not saying we didn’t tonight, it is just that Port did it better than us.
Q: Couple of years ago you made sure that Aliir didn’t influence the game but tonight you couldn’t you work the same sort of themes against him.
A: I think Aliir on paper had about four intercept marks or so. But, look, it is that kind of night where it is difficult for key forwards, and I thought Liam Jones held up the other end and was outstanding for us. It is not easy for any player to play in those conditions, but it is probably a bit more difficult for a key forward, and yeah, I mean, so that was then, this is now type situation. We have enough representation through our key forwards, in various places to be able to compete for opposition ... I thought Horne-Francis was productive in there (midfield) tonight, and Powell-Pepper buzzed around a little bit around centre forward, and I thought that was the thing that got them going and helped them come over the top of us.