Whenever Luke Beveridge's time as Western Bulldogs coach finishes, he will be a club legend, the man who took the Dogs in the space of just two seasons from 14th to their second-only premiership, and first for 62 years.
It's the happiest chapter in the Bulldogs' history. But increasingly, it also looks like the story is just about over, and that the parting of ways between coach and club is the only logical conclusion.
The Dogs' surprise seven-point defeat to Hawthorn on Sunday wasn't necessarily a definitive "coach killer". It was, however, more fuel to the flames of Bulldog discontent, more evidence that this is a team plodding along, going nowhere fast, and no longer heeding their coach's message.
Beveridge is contracted until the end of 2025. But if the Bulldogs accept now that this particular playing group isn't destined to again scale the heights, and that a major list overhaul is required, wouldn't logic dictate that it needs to be overseen by a coach who will be in the position for at least several more years?
And perhaps even Beveridge himself would concede now that the prospect of him still being in the position come, say 2027 or 2028, would be at long odds.
I wrote several weeks ago that this Bulldog group hadn't been nearly as good in practice as it looked on paper for several years. And that it no longer even looked that impressive on paper.
The once-feared midfield group is a shadow of its former self, too reliant on Marcus Bontempelli and the increasingly banged-up Tom Liberatore, and missing the likes of Josh Dunkley and even Lachie Hunter far more than had been anticipated. The absence of Bailey Smith has also robbed the Dogs not only of talent, but considerable spark and energy, too.
The defence is leaky and error-prone, 68 points conceded on turnover against Hawthorn on Sunday, and the Dogs again struggling to defend opposition ball movement. The forward set-up is prone to erratic performance from individuals, the bevy of talls seldom clicking as one.
But what has become perhaps more apparent even since a few weeks ago is the level of disconnect between the instruction and the delivery on the field.
It's apparent in the surrendering of winnable situations without enough resistance. It's apparent in the runs of opposition goals the Bulldogs routinely concede without seeming able to stem the flow, which happened again yesterday after the Dogs had kicked the first three goals within six minutes, then conceded seven of the next nine.
And it's apparent in that same inconsistency on a bigger scale from week to week. The Dogs' two most impressive victories this season, against Gold Coast and St Kilda, came after a week of intense criticism following terrible performances against Melbourne and Essendon.
That they haven't been able to sustain those emotionally-fuelled responses for any length of time afterwards, is telling. Good teams create their own motivation and momentum without the need for external stimulus.
But the energy generated internally at Whitten Oval these past 12 months or so has rarely seemed positive. I'm not necessarily a big one for footy scuttlebutt, but the reports of friction between coach and administration and coach and various players have been loud for a long time now.
Even the reaction to Essendon ruckman Sam Draper's podcast comments last week about senior Bulldogs wanting out should Beveridge stay was interesting, as though the sensitivity around his remarks from all parties concerned denoted a "where there's smoke, there's fire" vibe.
I've often been taken aback by the level of angst from Bulldog people about a coach who has delivered them a premiership, two grand finals, and six finals campaigns in nine years.
But their counter-argument would be that the Bulldogs under Beveridge in nine years have never finished a regular season higher than fifth or with more than 15 wins from 22 games, relying on two month-long bursts of form in 2016 and 2021 to take them to their greatest heights.
Beveridge's quirkiness when it came to matters like selection or positional placement worked well for him in those early seasons, keeping players on their toes.
These days it seems not only a source of frustration for fans, who believe he plays favourites with lesser-talented types, but dangerously, perhaps also for some players with considerable clout within the playing group.
At 3-5 in 11th spot on the ladder and already two games outside the top eight, the Bulldogs' season is in danger of imploding. And what's ahead certainly won't fill them with confidence, the Dogs' next four games against Greater Western Sydney and the Swans, third and first on the ladder respectively, then last year's grand finalists Collingwood and Brisbane.
Right now, you couldn't realistically tip them to win any of those clashes. And if the Dogs were out of finals contention by the end of Round 12, how bad could things get over the second half of the season?
I'm not advocating for an immediate sacking. And I'd understand if the Dogs opted to let Beveridge coach out his current deal to the end of next year. But this really does look like a classic example of what was a very successful marriage simply having run its course.
There's no shame in that for either party. But both need to acknowledge it sooner than later if unnecessary pain is to be avoided by a whole club and its support base.
You can read more of Rohan Connolly's work at FOOTYOLOGY.