Western Bulldogs Coach Calls for AFL to Expand Club Lists
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has raised concerns about the current structure of player lists in the Australian Football League (AFL), arguing that clubs need more flexibility to manage injuries and maintain competitive teams. His comments come amid growing challenges faced by several clubs, particularly the struggling Richmond Tigers.
Richmond, currently at the bottom of the table, is dealing with a significant number of injuries, with 18 players on their injury list. This has left them in a difficult position, often struggling to field a full team each week. The situation highlights the need for more players on club lists, according to Beveridge.
The Bulldogs, who are currently in 10th place with a 5-5 record, have also been affected by injuries this season. Ten players are currently sidelined, including key stars such as Sam Darcy (ACL), Tim English (concussion), Tom Liberatore (concussion/knee), Cody Weightman (knee), and Bailey Williams (hamstring).
Beveridge is hopeful that James O’Donnell (hamstring) will return for the upcoming match against Melbourne, which is in good form with a 7-3 record. However, Weightman and English may take one to two weeks before they can return to action.
With the physical demands on players increasing, Beveridge believes the AFL should consider allowing clubs to expand their lists and introduce more flexible promotion rules. He emphasized the importance of having more players available to step in when injuries occur.
“One of the things, talking about having conversations with the AFL, I think we need more fluidity in the scope to bring players on to an AFL list to be able to play them,” Beveridge said during a press conference. “Richmond are probably now a primary example, where you’d like a supplementary list to be able to feed players into it to call on them as your injury toll worsens.”
Beveridge pointed out that the 23 rounds of the season, along with pre-season games, add to the physical toll on players. With Tasmania set to enter the AFL in 2028, there is likely to be another round added to the schedule.
“Currently, only 42 players are outside of category B, and that’s not enough on a list, I don’t think,” he said. “I think the opportunity to have a four to six supplementary approach and maybe even send it out a bit further for a team and club like Richmond who are really feeling the pinch with their injury toll is important. So you can bring players up and play them as the year goes on.”
Tasmania, which will join the AFL in 2028, will be allowed up to 48 players on their list for their first few years. This model could serve as a blueprint for other clubs facing similar injury challenges.
Beveridge believes that other clubs should also be given the same flexibility. However, he acknowledges that there are still details to work through, such as how players would be managed and what happens to them at the end of the season.
“There’s a bit to work through around the detail of that and who comes off (the list) and what hold you’ve got on them at the end of the year, but I really feel like we need that,” Beveridge said. “It’s something for the future.”
He added that the plans for Tasmania’s list building and the number of players they will have on their list show that every AFL club should have the scope to have something similar if they face an injury toll like some of the clubs have.
