Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has warned his team against underestimating the Richmond Tigers in Saturday night's Round 20 AFL clash at Marvel Stadium. The Western Bulldogs sit eighth and must keep winning to improve their finals position on a tightly packed ladder.
The Western Bulldogs are only four points behind the fourth-placed Brisbane Lions, leaving a direct finals place within reach. A defeat against the last-placed Richmond Tigers could instead leave them facing the new wildcard round involving teams ranked seventh to 10th.
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Luke Beveridge Eyes Top-Six Finish
Luke Beveridge believes finishing inside the top six would provide a far better route to the premiership than entering through the wildcard round.
"If you finish seven to 10, you've got to win five in a row, and we know how hard it is to win four in a row," Luke Beveridge said.
"Everyone's doing their best to try and climb into that six as winning five in a row is going to be a monumental challenge."
The Western Bulldogs know what is possible from outside the top four after winning four consecutive finals from seventh position to claim the 2016 AFL premiership. However, the new format would force a wildcard side to win five straight matches to lift the trophy.
Richmond Tigers Still Pose a Threat
The Western Bulldogs have won their past two matches and regain veteran midfielder Tom Liberatore after he missed time with general soreness. They also need to improve their percentage, which is the lowest among the clubs still chasing finals.
Luke Beveridge pointed to recent upset results as proof that ladder position offers no guarantee. The Greater Western Sydney Giants defeated the Fremantle Dockers and Geelong Cats before losing to the Essendon Bombers.
"It's obviously a reminder to the competition that it doesn't matter who you play, if you're not right on your mettle you can be compromised and they can get you on the day."
The Western Bulldogs face the ladder-leading Fremantle Dockers next round, adding more weight to Saturday's meeting. Official fixtures and ladder updates are available through the AFL website.