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“No one understands the rules”: Beveridge explains why AFL coaches are feeling “helpless”
Andrew Slevison • April 3rd, 2025 1:11 pm
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says the game needs a correction.
He feels the rules and how they are adjudicated are too difficult for all participants to understand.
Beveridge was quizzed on the three-game suspension handed to Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell for pushing St Kilda’s Liam O’Connell when he spoke of the uncertainty surrounding today’s game.
“It’s another difficult one to touch, isn’t it? I don’t want to be too controversial,” Beveridge told reporters when asked about the Mansell suspension.
“I think the main one that we’re all focusing on, moving away from that, is there’s just too much uncertainty across the league in regards to source-pressure situations with tackling and being tackled.
“No one understands the rules anymore, and it’s very difficult to coach it; how long you can hang onto the ball; can you attempt to dispose of it, throw it out, miss it completely; is it play on? No one understands it.”
Beveridge has called for more clarity from AFL House so players, umpires and coaches are all on the same page.
He admits that coaches feel helpless and confusion reigns when it comes to adjudicating tackling free kicks.
“The suggestion from me was to make sure we bring back prior opportunity and validate incorrect disposal,” he added.
“Unfortunately, we need a correction. It needs to come from the ‘city hall’ and through the umpires, because the umpires are just finding it too hard. They don’t know how to adjudicate it, and our players don’t know what the decision is going to be.
“I don’t think we as coaches have ever felt as helpless around that, and coaching it, than now.
“I have (raised it with the AFL). Some of these things that pop up, you want your players to continue to play the game … anomalies or isolated incidents that get treated a certain way, you’ve got to coach around the things that happen more frequently. We steer away from spending too much time on those things.
“I know (the players are confused). I think the whole competition is confused.”
Beveridge’s Bulldogs, who own a 2-1 record, travel to Perth to take on Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Sunday evening.
