Teammates congratulate Cody Weightman and Sam Darcy after the game, Luke Beveridge press conference, Western Bulldogs vs Carlton Blues, scores, updates, results, commentary, reaction, latest news

Western Bulldogs key forward Sam Darcy has praised teammate Cody Weightman’s courage after the dynamic Dog made a key contribution in the Round 18 win over Carlton.

Weightman has previously been criticised by the media for his free-kick taking ability but his mettle was on full display when he helped to curb Blues star Jacob Weitering on Saturday night.

Although Weightman only kicked one goal from 12 disposals, his role in cancelling out Weitering – who recorded six interceptions in the first half – proved decisive in the Bulldogs’ victory.

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“Some of the treatment he gets is really unfair, he’s probably one of our bravest players,” Darcy told foxfooty.com.au after the game.

“You’ve seen him live, the way he approaches things and attacks the football is unbelievable, we love him,” he said.

Darcy said Weightman was one of the most important players in their team and was absolutely adored by everyone within the four walls of Whitten Oval.

“Internally we know the role he plays and how important he is. When the media goes after him, we’ve seen ‘Bevo’ defend him in the media, we all surround him, he’s so loved at our club,” Darcy said.

“It’s a bit of a barometer: ‘Flea, he brings us so much energy and we all feed off of him, having him on the team is so important.’”

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge added: “Weightman, who missed a bit of football, really showed his defensive game this afternoon… he worked hard at the end but he played a really unselfish role.”

Star forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has also been under the microscope of late due to his inconsistent form, but Darcy and Beveridge were full of praise for Ugle-Hagan after his match-winning performance.

“I thought he was unbelievable, the way he persevered and persisted, his effort on the ground and his individual brilliance, it was unreal to see him score goals today,” Darcy said.

“Jamarra came from Adelaide like some of his teammates and he was looking for answers for himself and wanted to produce something better,” Beveridge added after the match.

Ugle-Hagan struggled to influence the game in the first quarter as Weitering took control but his response thereafter was immense.

“Even in the first quarter we had to be careful with what Jacob Weitering was doing. He was intercepting too many balls and he was mostly behind Jamarra. So we had to make some adjustments and Jamarra had to think about his game technically around the halving and the neutralisation,” Beveridge said.

“As the game went on, Cody (Weightman) took on some of that responsibility as well and probably interfered with his game a little bit, but it helped us manage the game our way and then Jamarra started to blossom.”

Beveridge revealed Bulldogs forwards coach Matt Spangher took Ugle-Hagan aside at the first change but ultimately praised Ugle-Hagan’s ability to assert himself in the competition.

“Matt Spangher spoke to him and a big part of our coaches’ job is to keep the level up and support the players emotionally during the game. But ultimately it’s up to the player.”

Beveridge said the club were “quite emotional about this game” after overcoming plenty of adversity ahead of the clash.

Star midfielder Adam Treloar was forced off the pitch with a calf strain, while Aaron Naughton and James O’Donnell were both sidelined with concussion. Defenders Liam Jones and Jason Johannisen were also unavailable due to injuries.

“Obviously after last week you can use all sorts of adjectives to describe what it was and what it wasn’t. I think it goes against what we’ve done so far, we’ve built some momentum in our season,” Beveridge said.

“We came out of Adelaide a little bit confused but the boys were great. It was a big challenge this afternoon, let’s talk about adversity and losing Adam Treloar before the game, but the distribution of contributions was balanced.

“The boys kept their composure at the end of the game and recognised what they did well, they stuck to their principles and persevered… it’s a pretty remarkable result in the end.”

Bailey Dale was also very dangerous at full-back, racking up a match-high 31 disposals and 638 metres gained in a performance Beveridge called “one of the best high defensive first halves you’ve ever seen a player play”.

“He was a big part of helping us get our momentum back on the scoreboard. His defensive play was a huge influence and he used the ball well,” he continued.

Beveridge hopes his side can use the win to continue their progress towards a finals campaign in 2024.

“I hope we can do something with it, but I sit here as head coach of the football club extremely proud of what the boys were able to do this afternoon. It was a great win for the club,” he said.

“No matter who is on the team, all our players are capable.

“When in the scheme of things the season is all about and you’re making your choices, you feel pretty alone in the face of adversity, but the boys handled it really well.”

The Bulldogs will look to continue their quest for a finals spot when they head to GMHBA Stadium to face Geelong next weekend.