Western Bulldogs senior coach Luke Beveridge says despite the recent injury misfortune, the team is remaining optimistic ahead of the 2025 AFL season.

Speaking at the Club’s Season Preview on Monday night, Beveridge said the team was buoyed by their performance in the AAMI Community Series against Hawthorn.

“Everyone goes into the season with an understanding that there are certain things within your control, and certain things that aren’t – we believe we’ve controlled most things (despite) having a little bit of bad luck with injuries in recent times, but we’re feeling good about it,” Beveridge said at the Club’s Season Preview on Monday night.

“There was some great evidence of what the boys are trying to do together in the recent game in Launceston. We were encouraged by that.

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Luke Beveridge | "There's definite conviction"

Hear some of the key moments from Head Coach Luke Beveridge's speech at the club's exclusive 2025 Season Preview event.

“There’s optimism too in relation to our prospects – we’ve got a different (team) blend again, but the Hawthorn experience was a good outcome for us. We learnt a few things from it, which will help us prepare for the Kangaroos.”

The Dogs will be without skipper Marcus Bontempelli (calf) for that clash, alongside a host of experience including Adam Treloar (calf), Liam Jones (hamstring) and Jason Johannisen (hamstring) to name a few.

Beveridge said despite this, the growth from both the young and more senior players has been inspiring.

“What has been extremely evident to me and all of our people who have been working with our players is their application,” he said.

“The boys have worked extremely hard together, and they've had a challenging pre-season on the field and in the weight room and some of the layers that continue to challenge their professionalism. They’ve prepared themselves extremely well.

“The other obvious thing is the promise in our brand-new players and the way they’ve been able to get through their work in the early parts of their AFL journey.

“The growth from our experienced players too; it’s what we need and what we continue to encourage as much as we can. There’s real evidence of that unfolding.”

The Bulldogs will have a bye in this week’s Opening Round, before their 2025 campaign kicks off against North Melbourne on Saturday 15 March.