The Western Bulldogs look dejected after a loss during round 18, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

LUKE Beveridge has pinpointed the gap between his Western Bulldogs and the top teams in the competition following Friday night’s 10-point loss to Brisbane.

The defeat to the premiers continued a horror run for the Dogs in which they’ve won just one game from nine against teams in the top eight.

LIONS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats

With just five rounds remaining it has left them in a precarious position, sitting in ninth on the ladder and a game – possibly two by the end of the round – outside of finals contention.

Although the score was close against the Lions, even Beveridge conceded they were outplayed, conceding 64 inside 50s to 44, with some wayward Brisbane kicking keeping the contest close.

But the Dogs’ coach said his team had a “glaring” deficiency that continued to rear its head against the best teams.

“They came through the middle of the ground too often,” Beveridge said.

“They pulled kicks in there that we need to be able to defend, and that’ll be the one that stands out for us.

“Our team defence, we need to do it better. It’s too hard to circumvent those scoring opportunities when they go in the middle.”

The Bulldogs were valiant. They always are.

Not one of their eight losses has been by more than four goals, and again against the Lions they were relentless, reducing the margin to four points with a minute remaining.

But Beveridge said it wasn’t enough. That team defence, starting from the contest, needed to be better.

“You need your group to be totally committed to certain aspects of the defensive contest and stoppages phases,” he said.

“You can’t do that inconsistently against the better sides, and we’ve done that inconsistently against the better sides.

“I think that’s the difference.

“Our ability to score when we’ve got it in the right hands has been pretty good.

We’ve got to keep chipping away at the defensive aspects.”

Liam Jones returned to his key defensive post for the first time in three months, with Beveridge reluctant to delve too deeply into his performance.

“Jonesy had some good moments,” he said.

“We didn’t necessarily defuse some of those aerial situations like we needed to. The backs will look at that and Liam will be part of that.”

James O’Donnell left the field early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, but returned, with Beveridge believing he would be fine to face Essendon next week, a game the Dogs simply must win.

“We play three (teams) below us and two above us. You’d have to say we’d need to win them all.”

For Brisbane coach Chris Fagan it was a pleasing result that kept his team in second place ahead of a trip south to face Gold Coast next Saturday.

He said it would have been a “travesty” if they lost, being particularly pleased with keeping the highest scoring team in the competition to just 16 scoring shots.

It was a special night for the Lions, who not only celebrated Hugh McCluggage’s 200th game and farewelled CEO Greg Swann, but also paid tribute to football manager Danny Daly who chalked up 250 games since joining the Lions.

“On my presentation before the game I had their pictures on it and talked a bit about the great contribution all three have made to our footy club in different ways and that it would be good tonight if we could win because we’d like to give Swanny a Gatorade shower,” Fagan said.

“It was pretty important to win for a guy like Hughy, who is such a good team man, and Danny, who is as highly respected as anyone can be at a footy club.

“We used it, we always do.”