Luke Beveridge is staying put.
The 2016 premiership-winning coach has signed a fresh two-year extension with the Western Bulldogs, tying him to Whitten Oval until the end of 2027.
The announcement was made to players and staff on Tuesday afternoon after Beveridge met with club president Kylie Watson-Wheeler, CEO Ameet Bains, and football director Luke Darcy during the bye week to finalise terms.
It brings to an end months of speculation about the 54-year-old’s future, after coaching this season without a contract beyond October.
A stabilising figure through changing times
Beveridge’s signature locks in a major piece of the Bulldogs’ future. Already the club’s longest-serving coach, he has led the side through 241 games and will likely pass the 300 mark before this new deal ends.
Despite battling a hefty injury list this season and sitting just outside the top eight, the Dogs have reason to believe they can make a push in the second half of the year.
Beveridge, who doesn’t use a manager, has been in regular contact with the Bulldogs board and has always been upfront about where he stands. “I’ve always maintained that if the club thought I was the right person, I wanted to stay,” he has previously said.
With Sam Darcy returning, Marcus Bontempelli next on the club’s re-signing list, and Beveridge locked in, the Bulldogs are building solid foundations for what lies ahead.