Former Hawthorn assistant coach Luke Beveridge has been appointed the new coach of AFL club Western Bulldogs.

Bulldogs chief executive Simon Garlick confirmed the appointment of Beveridge at Whitten Oval on Friday.

“He’s building a fantastic reputation in the industry,” Garlick said of Beveridge.

“Most importantly, he’s been a key player in driving successful cultures,” he added, pointing to the two AFL premierships at Hawthorn and one at Collingwood that Beveridge helped engineer.

“He has the ability to make tough decisions when required, and clearly articulate what he stands for and what’s in the best interests of the club.”

• Bombers closer to AFL tribunal
• Mark Thompson walks out on Bombers

Beveridge noted he was extremely excited about the post, suggesting a number of factors made it the right time for him to become a head coach.

“There’s a sense of nostalgia – obviously, I played here,” he said.

“The list has evolved a little bit in recent times … it’s a good blend.

“The club’s always had a real homely feel about it. I’ve been assured today that still exists.

“Geography was good; I’ve got a 16-year-old in school (so it would be hard to move interstate).”

Beveridge was appointed St Kilda’s director of coaching earlier this year.

Both Beveridge and Garlick thanked the Saints for understanding his desire to abandon the newly created role that was set up for the 2015 season.

Since losing a preliminary final in 2010, the Bulldogs have never made the top eight.

The Dogs finished 14th in 2014 and 15th in the two seasons prior.

Beveridge was unwilling to forecast “ladder positions” in his first season at the helm.

“As long as I am senior coach, I won’t talk about prospects,” he said.

“We’ll be trying to explore how far we can do and doing everything we can to get to where we’d like to go.”

Beveridge replaces Brendan McCartney, who had been contracted until the end of the 2016 season, but was sacked last month following captain Ryan Griffen’s decision to walk out on the club.

Griffen joined Greater Western Sydney in trade period, making the search for a skipper one of Beveridge’s immediate priorities.

“We’re looking to try and do that pretty quickly and accelerate that process. We don’t want to wait until next year,” he said.

“You’ve got to appoint the person who is right for it at the time.

“If it’s (an older player) for one year (instead of a long-term leader), that’s ok.

“We’ll be having conversations with players, the coaches and all the people whose opinions are important.”