Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge suffered a broken hand after accidentally allegedly punching a whiteboard during last week's game against Sydney.
The Dogs took on the Swans at the SCG last Thursday night, with the Whitten Oval club going down to the home side by two points to now become susceptible to falling outside of the top eight altogether.
Matters were only made worse during the game when Beveridge allegedly hit a whiteboard in front of his players during half-time, with the premiership coach noted to have unintentionally done so whilst n an act of shadow boxing.
Multiple reports on Wednesday night detailed the incident had led to Beveridge breaking his hand, with footage from the second half of, and following, last week's loss to the Swans showing a swollen left hand for the Dogs mentor.
Beveridge underwent a procedure in hospital once he returned to Melbourne from Sydney. The ailment isn't expected to hinder his coaching commitments this week when the Bulldogs face Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
The Dogs coach was asked on the matter, with Beveridge saying it was purely an "accident".
"Injured but I carried on. It didn't affect me. It's all fixed, so business as usual," Beveridge told reporters on Thursday.
"It's a bit trivial, but one day it might be a couple of paragraphs in a chapter in a book. I was just unlucky with the way it happened.
"I love and care for our group so much and the emotion around, I suppose, the motivation (played a part). We all need to be self-starters but sometimes you need your coach to be a little bit animated and this is just purely an accident more than anything.
"If you're worried about me emotionally, no need - I'm totally in control."
The loser of Friday's clash is likely to fall out of the top eight, with both clubs currently tied on 36 premiership points - sitting just one win ahead of the 13th-placed Gold Coast Suns.
The Dogs have lost their last two games to currently sit in seventh spot, with GWS, Carlton, Richmond, Adelaide and the Suns all eligible to leap Beveridge's side come the conclusion of Round 19.
Following their affair with the Bombers, the Bulldogs will face the Giants and Tigers in the succeeding weeks in what will be a crucial three-round period for the blue, white and red club.
The Western Bulldogs will then conclude their season with matches against Hawthorn, West Coast and Geelong.
Friday's clash with Essendon will take place at Marvel Stadium at 7:50pm (AES) on Friday.
