Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is all but set for a contract extension beyond 2025, as he revealed talks are progressing in the right direction.
Beveridge has been largely speculated to be the man for the top job at the Whitten Oval, but the jury was still out until the new campaign was well and truly underway.
After 10 weeks, the Bulldogs sit fifth with six wins, claiming victories in four of their past five matches, ranking as the best scoring team in the competition, which is complemented by their fifth standing as a defensive outfit.
All the while, Beveridge has dealt with persistent injuries and absences to key players, while fielding conjecture surrounding a potential move to Melbourne that would see him replace Simon Goodwin, which he emphatically denied.
Speaking on Fox Footy's AFL360, the 2016 premiership coach insinuated that an extension is on the horizon.
Luke Beveridge says a contract extension "may not be too far away"
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"I know we've both been talking, the club and I, in similar terms, stability and sustainability," Beveridge said.
"The next 'S', the opportunity for success comes along. I think we're stable. And not that you need a hell of a lot of luck, but you need to ride your fortunes.
"I think we're morphing into this partnership again, where we're looking at sustainability and thinking, out of the Peter Jackson review, how healthy are we off the field?
"And the club's vision of what is ahead? I think we are in consent that we are on the right path. As far as formalising something goes, it may not be too far away."
Throughout this year, captain Marcus Bontempelli, veterans Adam Treloar and Liam Jones have faced stints on the sidelines due to soft-tissue injuries.
Forward Cody Weightman hasn't been sighted in 2025 and has been ruled out of the remainder of the year with a series of setbacks in his knee.
Unicorn Sam Darcy was arguably the most in-form player in the competition, but a knee injury in Round 6 against St Kilda nearly derailed his season.
Then the overarching narrative surrounding the troubled Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who has taken indefinite leave from the game and could be on the move at season's end.
Beveridge has been forced to rely on the emerging youth to take the reins of the club, utilising 32 players so far this season.
Ed Richards has become one of the most damaging players in the competition, while Joel Freijah and Ryley Sanders' development has lifted the club's potential.
The lewd recruitment of Sam Davidson and Matthew Kennedy has proven to be a masterstroke from the Bulldogs as cricketer-turned-footballer James O'Donnell poses as a star in the making.
The blend of youth and experience at the club will likely see Beveridge receive at least a two-year extension, which could take him to the end of 2027.
Thursday's blockbuster against Geelong at GHHBA Stadium will be a litmus test for the Footscray club, as they prepare to face old teammate Bailey Smith.
