Luke Beveridge
Luke Beveridge (1970 - ) was a footballer who played in several Australian Football League teams. He is currently head coach of the Western Bulldogs, appointed at the end of 2014, after the previous coach was sacked, the captain walked out, and two key players left; At that time, the team was ranked 14th. Within a year, virtually the same team climbed to 9th; a year later, in 2016, they won the premiership. Far from a team of champions, the team turned in an extraordinary performance to come from 7th to 1st during four weeks of finals, following a season of injuries to key players, including their captain who was rated #1 captain by his peers the year before. Beveridge has been a leader in exemplifying a rise in effective coaching with an uncompromising but highly relational approach, which sees and appreciates people as they are, is direct and caring, and which he extends to everyone he deals with at the club, including players, coaches, supporters, right through to the doorman.
People keep looking for this magical ingredient. It wasn't one thing, one place, one person. It was in everybody …