WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has guaranteed veteran Matthew Boyd will play on next year, while declaring there is no reason the Dogs can't end their 62-year premiership drought.

The morning after his team rocketed into serious flag contention after ending Hawthorn's dynasty, Beveridge ended months of speculation about the future of 34-year-old Boyd, who recently collected his third All Australian honour.

Beveridge said he and Boyd have a good relationship but admitted the veteran "wasn't overly happy" mid-season when told that contract talks would be put on hold until later in the season. 

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"I don't want Matthew to finish at our club playing for (VFL side) Footscray – he's been such a good player and I don't want him to think like that," Beveridge explained on SEN on Saturday.

"I want him to go on next year knowing he's going to be part of our 22. That's really important for him, and the conversation was all around that – 'How are we going, mate? There's just a couple of areas where you're not as proficient as you have been – can we get that back? I want you to be part of this next year, but you've got to be part of the 22.'

"It was a tough conversation, but he'll play on next year."

In further news that will excite Bulldogs fans, Beveridge was bullish about his team's prospects of winning the club's first flag since their only triumph of 1954.

Buoyed by a stunning 23-point semi-final win over the Hawks at the MCG on Friday night – which he described as the Bulldogs' best performance in his coaching reign – Beveridge said the Dogs were acutely aware that they "haven't got a lot of silverware in the cupboard" and were keen to create their own history. 

"We won't be satisfied unless we win the whole thing. We'll be extremely disappointed if that's what transpires. The time is now," he said.

"As much as there's many (players) that are quite young, and people talk about premiership windows, but I just believe if you've got a group who's capable, who's willing to put in the hard work and meet challenges like the Hawks in a semi-final last night head on, then who says you can't win it." 

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Though dreaming of the big prize, Beveridge has consciously tried to keep his players grounded. He revealed that after the Hawks' clash, he went against usual routine by immediately focusing his players on their preliminary final encounter with Greater Western Sydney, to ensure they also "treat this one like a mini-Grand Final". 

However, he was mindful of not overloading his players with information about the importance of the occasion. The Dogs haven't qualified for a grand final since 1961. 

"I think the key to it is not making too big a deal of it. Ultimately (finals) are another game and you (shouldn't) overplay it," Beveridge said.

"You've got to know your group as well. If you had a group of very experienced, mature players, you can go the extra yard in talking about the enormity and how important it is, but with a younger group I think they prefer the less-is-more type approach. 

"A great thing with our leadership group has been they've really been transparent in their messaging to us (coaches) about what they think the group needs, and I think we've responded and we've got it in check. 

"Although preliminary finals historically have been like Grand Finals before the Grand Final, we just need to make sure we have got it in balance. If we overdo it, we'll probably do our players' heads in."