WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says young key forwards Tom Boyd and Josh Schache need to win senior selection through strong performances, but is confident the high-profile pair will develop into players of the calibre of West Coast star Josh Kennedy.
Both Boyd, 22, and Schache, 20, will line up for Footscray on Sunday in a VFL practice match against Geelong at Whitten Oval after missing senior selection for the Bulldogs' opening round clash with Greater Western Sydney in Canberra.
Boyd didn't feature in the JLT Community Series after a glute injury interrupted his pre-season, while recruit and former Lion Schache did little in a game and a half in the club's two hit-outs against Hawthorn and Collingwood.
Beveridge told AFL.com.au the pair will need to earn their spot in the AFL side through strong performances, but sees similarities in their struggles to Kennedy's fledgling years in the AFL.
Sore Boyd in a great frame of mind
The two-time Coleman Medallist only kicked 49 goals in his first 45 games compared to Boyd's 44 majors in his 49 career games to date, while Schache has kicked 25 goals from 27 games in two seasons in the AFL.
"They'll get picked based on how well they're playing and their appetite for the contest," Beveridge said.
"It's about making sure (the coaching staff are) transparent with our communications (to them) and the things that are going to make them really influential AFL players.
"If the boys can be relevant in all the phases, they can do their bit defensively, they're giving you a chance to get the footy back because at ground level they're nimble enough and they're providing the pressure that you need.
"Tom will search for his consistency that, over time, we maybe haven't got to yet, while Josh is a very young physically-developing key forward who will still take a bit of time.
"What we're pursuing is getting them to a point where they become someone like Josh Kennedy, and he took him some time."
Another thing the duo has in common with the Eagles' goal machine is that they're all top-five picks in the NAB AFL Draft and have been traded out of the club that originally selected them.
Carlton picked Kennedy with the No.4 pick in 2005, Boyd went to Greater Western Sydney at No.1 in 2013 and Schache landed at Brisbane with pick two in the 2015 talent pool.
With such a lofty rating comes great expectation, and Beveridge knows the external pressure on Boyd and Schache will intensify if they don't perform and spend long periods in the VFL.
Another possible concern is the pair's mental state after both needed time away from the game to deal with the all-encompassing nature of modern football.
"We'll need to manage the outside noise the best we can," Beveridge said.
"As long as we assure them they have bright futures, and the VFL is a good and healthy level that's going to help them get to where they need to go."
In an exclusive interview, Beveridge also expanded on his coaching values and several key players that will shape whether his side can return to the heady heights on 2016.
Beveridge on self-belief and game-style: I never question my philosophies or principles of our own style (after 2016). There was a lot of instability we didn't see coming, to a degree, but we were dealing with a competition that were stimulated with what we did (in the premiership win), and everyone was better at what we were doing than we were. It's very challenging for a player if they haven't got a really strong athletic profile to survive in the 22 and the game, and that's why Richmond (won the 2017 flag) because they had such a great combination of players that complimented each other around the ground. Core team defensive principles haven't changed, and we pride ourselves on a well-taught 18-man team defence, which we've still got a lot of work to do on. And the all-important one of using the footy better and defending less, comes a little bit with maturity, the coaching and we can't shy away from the reasonability of that.
Tory Dickson: He's searching for his best form after a bit of time out of the main program (over the pre-season), so we expect him to find his best footy, and when he does, he'll cement his spot in the side. He's done most of the work.
Tory Dickson is with Tom Boyd in the VFL this weekend. Picture: AFL Photos
Toby McLean: He's had a really strong pre-season, and we're asking all our players to find new levels (of performance) and the signs are really good with him. We see him as a midfielder, more so than a forward. The A-graders of the competition have a great combination of speed and endurance and they're finishers or direct-assist players, and he can be one of those players. He's also got some aggression in his game and we covet that, so he could be considered externally as one of the better midfielders in the competition if he keeps on this journey.
Lewis Young: He is still learning, he's still only 19 and his form was pretty good when we first brought him into the team. Since then, it was a significant learning curve at senior level and he just needs to tighten up his game to convince us he's ready to be a permanent member of the team and a really, really good tall defender. He just needs to use the ball in a way that will help us defend and score.
Mitch Wallis: He hurt his back on Mooloolaba camp (in January) and he wasn't quite right, so in the lead up to the JLT series he missed a couple of weeks in the main program. He's in a position where we're looking for him to play some good footy, so he can force his way into the (senior) side. He needs to accentuate his strengths, (contested ball) around the footy and be a very good team-defensive player. He's more than capable. He's a capable kick on both feet and if there's a perceived lack of leg speed, he can cover that in other ways.
