Luke Beveridge spoke to media at VU Whitten Oval on Tuesday afternoon.  Here, westernbulldogs.com.au looks at the key takeaways.

Clay Smith's legacy

With the 25-year-old having announced his retirement yesterday, Beveridge said he hopes the current group can draw inspiration from his time at the Club.

“Hopefully we can take something out of his experience and his journey as a Western Bulldogs player, and his example and his legacy can be something that some of our guys strive towards. 

“I suppose he's an example of the impact we had through players like him that we've missed a bit and that the underlings and the next wave are trying to aspire to. 

“He's an example of a player who's been pretty resilient over a pretty trying time and a seven-year career that should have gone a lot longer, and had a lot more games in it for the seven years that it was. 

“I hope our boys somehow draw on something from Clay's journey as a Bulldogs player”.

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Jack Macrae

Beveridge provides an insight into the likelihood the star midfielder suits up on Saturday against the Demons.

“If he gets through training, he'll play.

“He'll train this afternoon and then Thursday will be our more significant session and we anticipate he'll get through. He should play.”

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Marcus Bontempelli

While Bontempelli’s personal numbers are down, Beveridge says he’s content with he way his vice-captain has been performing.

“He's playing in a midfield that's evolved.  We've lost Bailey Williams and we've just trialled him through there, and the combinations keep changing and he's trying to hold it together for everyone, so he's got a real leadership challenge on his hands. 

“I think the thing about Marcus is he's such a fighter for the team and the greater good that at times he can focus on what's right for the team and that can compromise your own individual focus.

“He's been fantastic at different times throughout the course of the year and like his teammates he's doing his absolute best to draw everything out of each other, not only himself. 

“I'm really content with what he's doing.  He's probably not having his boom year but what happens with such significant change in a side you lose that scope to be the player that you can be because you need your teammates to support you. 

“Over time that'll come again and we'll see his absolute best.” 

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The future of Dale Morris

Beveridge says he’d like the 35-year-old defender to go on for at least another year given his current form.

“I want him to go on if he's fit and healthy and he's playing pretty well. He's been strong enough and his desire to go on is there, he thinks he's got more than another year left in him.  

“I don't pay much attention to the actual age of the player it's just their output and their willingness to get everything out of themselves.  I think when a player gets to a point when they think next year is probably going to be their last, you've got to make a decision whether it's a good idea to go on, but he doesn't think that way.  

“He's had some injury so he's missed some footy and I think he can go more than one year beyond this year, but time will tell.  Hopefully he gets through, plays some really good footy and it's a no-brainer at the end of the year.”

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On the Demons 

On this week’s opposition, who’ve won the last two games against the Dogs by big margins.

“They're a big challenge, they've gotten us the last few times.

“Respect what they do…when we've played them, in all the lines and in attack and defence they've been pretty impressive.

“But they've had some change too and they’re going through a patch where they're trying to get their belief systems back up again.  

“We'll give ourselves a chance, like we do every week but they're a pretty good side.” 

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Tom Liberatore’s progress

Beveridge says he’s encouraged by Liberatore’s recovery from a serious knee injury but has some concerns around his current hair style.

“He's going alright.  He's back, he's running and so he's looking reasonably strong, trying to prepare himself for 2019, so there's some encouraging signs there.

“January he should be almost at full speed, I'd say. But the timeline will still be that 11 months.” 

“I don't get too critical of our players hair styles, but not sure about that one.”