The Western Bulldogs are gearing up to welcome back one of their most influential midfielders in the coming weeks, with head coach Luke Beveridge confirming that star on-baller Tom Liberatore is on track for a round 15 comeback after a lengthy injury layoff.
Liberatore has not featured at the top level since the club’s round 6 clash this season, after suffering a fresh knee issue and a concussion that forced the club’s coaching and medical staff to take an ultra-cautious approach to his rehabilitation. For much of his recovery, the hard-nosed inside midfielder was separated from the main senior training group, only re-integrating with the full squad in recent days.
Speaking to media ahead of the Bulldogs’ Thursday night clash against Adelaide at Marvel Stadium, Beveridge laid out a clear timeline for Liberatore’s return, confirming the fan favourite will not be considered for selection this week. Instead, the 31-year-old will complete a full main training session this Saturday, before stepping into a full week of senior training with the entire group. The Bulldogs have an eight-day break between their round 14 match against Adelaide and their round 15 fixture, giving Liberatore the perfect window to prove his fitness ahead of a potential recall.
“Now we’re just including him in all the main drills with the whole group, which gives him the chance to get used to playing with bodies around him again and read the flow of game-style training,” Beveridge explained. “Our approach has always been rooted in duty of care and due diligence, we just want to make sure he feels completely comfortable and gets through next week’s training block unscathed. Right now, all signs point to him being available for selection in round 15.”
Beyond the positive injury update on Liberatore, the Bulldogs remain the overwhelming favourite to lure Port Adelaide star midfielder Zak Butters to the Melbourne-based club when his current contract expires. Speculation has swirled in recent weeks that Beveridge held a secret meeting with Butters during Port Adelaide’s recent bye, but the veteran coach declined to confirm or deny the meeting when pressed by reporters.
Beveridge did, however, share his perspective on the growing trend of players publicly announcing their future intentions years in advance – a common practice in the National Rugby League that has yet to take hold in the AFL. The Bulldogs coach argued that this sort of pre-emptive public declaration creates unnecessary tension for clubs, noting that it is impossible for current teammates and staff not to react emotionally when a star player confirms they will leave at the end of their contract.
“I think we can only get ourselves into trouble as coaches if we talk too much about the acquisition overtures, whether it’s Zak or anyone else,” Beveridge said. “I can’t really talk about that in any detail, confirm or deny anything – I’d rather stay out of it. I don’t want to go down the NRL track. I think it’s a really difficult thing club-wise when one of your own players says publicly they’re leaving. Ultimately, they’ll be treated a bit differently once everyone knows they’re moving on at the end of the year, you can’t help but be emotional about it.”
Beveridge and his side will take on Adelaide on Thursday night, aiming to close a two-win gap on the Crows in the AFL ladder after a hard-fought win over Hawthorn in round 13.