The Western Bulldogs are facing a race against time to get two of their key stars, captain Marcus Bontempelli and veteran big man Rory Lobb, over the fitness line for their high-stakes Thursday night clash against the Sydney Swans, head coach Luke Beveridge has confirmed.
With less than 48 hours until the first bounce, Beveridge revealed the club will give both Bontempelli, who is managing a knee complaint, and Lobb, who is carrying a hamstring knock, every possible minute to prove their match readiness, with the team list not due to be submitted until Wednesday. The coach emphasized that the club’s priority will always be player long-term health over short-term results, confirming no star will be risked if there is any chance of their existing soreness worsening into a more serious injury.
“We’ll give him right up until the death,” Beveridge told reporters of Bontempelli’s fitness timeline, noting the team’s tight fixture schedule that has included two back-to-back six-day turnarounds between matches. “There’s a couple of boys who are sore and ultimately they’ll play if there is no risk that they’ll injure what they’re sore with anymore. But if there’s any concern they’ll be impeded or in discomfort that might turn into an injury, they won’t play. We won’t take any risk.”
As of Tuesday training sessions, Bontempelli was moving better than Lobb during on-field run-throughs, but both remain in doubt for the encounter. A loss of Lobb would put particular pressure on the Bulldogs’ defensive unit, which is already reeling after season-ending injury to young key position player Sam Darcy, who suffered a ruptured ACL last week.
Beveridge said Lobb responded well to initial treatment after his knock, and remains on track to push for selection. “He got a knock but he looks like he’s moving. There’s a couple of days to go and we don’t need to name a team until tomorrow. He’ll go to the line I think,” the coach said. He added that the club has adjusted its selection procedures this week to accommodate the injury delays: with VFL affiliate Footscray playing on Friday, the Bulldogs will be able to bring three emergency players to Thursday night’s fixture, creating flexibility for late selection changes if needed.
Off the field, there is positive news around Darcy, who attended the club’s Whitten Oval base on Tuesday just days after scans confirmed his ACL rupture, which will rule him out of action for roughly 12 months. Beveridge said the young forward-key defender is in excellent spirits despite the devastating season-ending setback, with surgery scheduled for later this week once initial swelling subsides.
“Darcy is a great character, as you know, so he’ll come back and be a player that will continue to improve and grow,” Beveridge said. “We’re going to miss him for a little while, but we’ve got to deal with that and others need to step up to fill the gap he leaves behind.”
The club is also taking a cautious approach with hard-nosed midfielder Tom Liberatore, who sustained his fifth concussion in four seasons during last weekend’s match. Liberatore has pulled up well from the incident, reporting no lingering symptoms including headaches or sleep disruption, but remains in the league’s concussion protocols. Beveridge confirmed the club will not rush Liberatore’s return, even if that means sidelining him for additional matches beyond this week.
“We’re pretty conservative looking after our players who have had a head knock or two,” Beveridge said. “if there’s any sign that Tom needs a bit longer, I am sure our medical crew won’t let him play. He seems to be OK, but he hasn’t been to any specialist concussion panel yet for full clearance.”
Amid the raft of injury concerns, the Bulldogs have a potential boost on the way: veteran midfielder Adam Treloar is poised to return to the senior side after a strong performance in the VFL last weekend, where he collected 41 disposals. Treloar has missed the last several weeks with his own injury setback, and will only be selected if he gets through his final two training sessions without issue. If he passes that test, he will make an immediate return to the senior line-up for the Sydney clash.