Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge opens up on Bailey Smith’s state of mind after drugs scandal 

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has told Bailey Smith to let his football do the talking as the star midfielder seeks to repay his teammates in his AFL return against St Kilda.

Smith has missed the Bulldogs’ last four matches through suspension over separate headbutting and illicit drug use incidents.

The Dogs have slid out of the top eight in that time, with losses in their last two outings against Brisbane and Sydney.

Friday night’s clash with the Saints at Marvel Stadium is not far off being a virtual elimination final, with both sides desperate to keep their realistic top-eight hopes alive.

Footage of Smith snorting an illegal substance in a nightclub soon followed the damning photograph and led to him confessing he’d used drugs when his life ‘spiralled out of control’ following the Bulldogs’ defeat in the 2021 grand final 

Smith’s immediate return after serving successive two-match bans will add much-needed grunt to their engine room.

‘He’s in a good head space, he’s looking forward to getting back out and playing a game with his teammates,’ Beveridge said.

‘I think he’s managed it (the time out) extremely well and it will be great to have him back in the team.’

Beveridge was among the first to offer his support to Smith after images and videos of the player with an illicit substance emerged in June.

Smith was serving a two-match headbutting suspension at the time and copped another two-match ban from the AFL for ‘conduct unbecoming’.

Smith (pictured after returning to training with the Dogs last month) will be desperate to make amends for his long ban when he faces St Kilda on Friday night

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said he was more concerned with Smith’s headbutt in their clash with Geelong than the drugs scandal

The images and videos were taken in late 2021, after the grand final loss to Melbourne, with Smith later admitting he ‘spiralled out of control’ amid struggles with his mental health.

‘I said to him I was probably more concerned about the headbutt than what happened at the end of last year,’ Beveridge said.

‘He moved on from all that from last year. He was obviously frustrated with himself in regards to that.

‘But we all know that he’s put all the right things in place and we manage and support him with his wellbeing as well as anyone can.

‘Bailey’s the type of competitor that turns up early to games and winds himself up and absolutely wants to be the best player out there for his club and his teammates.

‘It sort of almost flies in the face of trying to take the edge off and create some calmness in your life.

‘He’s just a fierce competitor, so my conversation with him was more around discipline and making sure that he plays his best footy within the rules and (making sure) that we don’t lose him again.’

Beveridge expects Smith will be driven by the pursuit of redemption in his comeback.

‘I can’t speak for him but the way he thinks, he really cares about his club and his teammates, and I think there will be an element of that as he goes into this game,’ Beveridge said.

‘Maybe off the back of the last two weeks, which have been pretty lean for us, especially last week, he’ll feel like he could’ve made a difference. That will be part of it.’

As well as Smith, the Bulldogs could be boosted by the return of Josh Bruce for his first senior match of the season.

The key forward took another step in his recovery from a long-term knee injury by kicking 4.5 in the VFL last week.

A short five-day break between matches may count against Bruce at selection.

Beveridge expects fellow goal-kicker Aaron Naughton to overcome a sore knee, while Anthony Scott (concussion) will miss at least one match.