Kane Cornes calls out young Bulldog, outlines frustrations with Luke Beveridge

Kane Cornes has called out Western Bulldogs key forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and coach Luke Beveridge after the side’s disappointing Elimination Final loss to Hawthorn.

Despite coming into September with what Champion Data described as the best profile of any team, the Dogs are once again out of the finals mix early after missing out on a top four finish.

Ugle-Hagan was especially quiet against the Hawks, finishing with four disposals, two marks and a behind.

Cornes has expressed his frustration with the young Bulldog, who was seen post-match laughing and smiling with Hawthorn players.

“If I’d touched the ball four times in a final and didn’t kick a goal as a highly paid forward with a lot of hype, I wouldn’t be laughing and smiling and hugging the opposition after the final siren,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.

“Now I’m looking at Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. I don’t want to see you laughing, smiling and carrying on after you’ve produce done of the worst performances we’ve seen of your career in a final.”

Cornes believes the Dogs continue to under perform due to Luke Beveridge’s inability to maximise the talent across his list.

“The Bulldogs list management group would feel let down after essentially what is if not the best list in the game, the second best,” Cornes said.

“All they are saying is we’ll fill the sports car up with petrol, you’ve just got to get in Luke and drive it in a straight line and for whatever reason he’s been unable to do that.

“People say ‘well is their list actually that good’, well you speak to Champion Data and they have five top 50 players and that doesn’t include Ugle-Hagan or Sam Darcy or Liam Jones or Tom Liberatore – they are absolutely stacked.

“I just think if Sam Mitchell or Chris Scott was coaching the Western Bulldogs if Justin Longmuir was coaching the Bulldogs – anyone – they would be in a far superior position over the last three years than what they have been.

“I just feel like it has been a wasted era and they need a deep dive into his strange coaching calls and that was evident again on Friday night.”

The non-selection of Rhylee West was raised by Nathan Buckley as a strange call by Beveridge, something Cornes believes epitomises the issues at the club.

“This is what he does. This is what he did in the first eight weeks of the season which means you’re 3-5, which means you miss top four again, which means there’s no room for error in the back-half of the year and no room for error on Friday night, this is what happens,” Cornes said.

“Rhylee West is the classic example. Marcus Bontempelli playing centre half forward when the game is on the line or stuck on the bench, which (Beveridge) wasn’t aware of after the game, he didn’t even know the game-time of Bontempelli.

“Look, it’s not personal. If I was a Bulldogs fan, if I was their list management group, if I was Ameet Bains who says they’ve got a top four list, I would be sitting back going ‘we are let down by these stupid tactics and selection moves that happen repeatedly’.”