Bulldogs coach has dig at AFL finals venue

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has had a cheeky dig at the Giants over the controversial choice of venue for their AFL preliminary final.

There has already been plenty of debate around the league’s decision to hold the game next Saturday at Spotless Stadium.

The crowd capacity for the Giants’ home ground is only 24,000.

“I would imagine there’d be quite a few Bulldogs fans and people who want to go,” Beveridge said after Friday night’s famous semi-final win over Hawthorn.

He then asked what the ground capacity was at Spotless Stadium and chuckled at the answer.

“What I’d like to (have) happen – obviously it’s going to stay at Spotless, by the sound of it,” he said.

“At least let 12,000 of our people in and 12,000 (of theirs) … do they have 12,000? 12,000 of them and 12,000 of us and then that’s okay, I reckon.”

Later, Beveridge acknowledged that the Giants deserved to play the game at their home ground, given they finished in the top four.

There has been discussion around the Bulldogs playing their elimination final last year at the MCG, not their Etihad Stadium home ground, and the possibility of Geelong hosting finals at Simonds Stadium once its redevelopment is completed.

“But GWS have earned the right – I know all the debate around the Cats and even us last year at Etihad,” Beveridge said.

“We just have to suck that up and go up there and do our very best.”

Beveridge then forlornly asked whether journalists might report those comments, rather than his dig at the Giants supporter base.

Stay up to date with the latest sports news
Follow our social accounts to get exclusive content and all the latest sporting news!