The Australian Football League’s Western Bulldogs are moving deliberately and cautiously with star ruckman Tim English’s return to competitive play, after a fresh head knock reignited long-standing concerns over the athlete’s repeated concussion history.
English’s latest injury occurred during last weekend’s victory over Port Adelaide, when he collided in a training drill with teammate Matthew Kennedy. Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Bulldogs head coach Luke Beveridge emphasized that the club would prioritize the athlete’s long-term health over a rapid comeback, stressing that no timeline for his return has been finalized.
“We haven’t got an update for you today, we’ll wait and see how he goes over the next week and what his availability will be,” Beveridge told reporters. “I think because of his history — he’s been out of action at different times and spent a whole pre-season a couple of years ago non-contact — we’ll tread carefully.”
English’s history of head injuries dates back to 2021 and 2022, when he sustained multiple concussions that forced him to sit out all contact drills during the 2024 pre-season to prioritize recovery. Without their starting ruckman, the Bulldogs have been forced to throw two inexperienced young tall players, Lachie Smith and Louis Emmett, into the rotation earlier than club officials had planned.
Beveridge acknowledged that the club’s recruiting team is actively exploring the option of adding a supplementary ruckman via the upcoming mid-season draft, to ease the pressure on the club’s underprepared young talent. “Obviously, Lachie Smith has played a bit recently and dipped his toe in the water,” Beveridge said. “Louis Emmett has played some minutes there as a young player who is probably not ready for the ruck position, definitely not ready to be frank, but he’s a competitor and he’s done his best for us. It’s something that we’re thinking about, but is there a player available? And our recruiters are working through that at the moment.”
The Bulldogs are also taking a measured approach to the return of veteran midfielder Tom Liberatore, who has not seen game action since Round 6. While Liberatore also has a recent concussion, Beveridge noted that the primary barrier to his comeback is a knee injury, with the head injury listed as a secondary concern.
“He’ll be a while, Tom … he’s a fair way away with that knee,” Beveridge said. “Concussion I think is secondary at the moment, for me, we’re not really talking about it, we’re talking about the knee. He’ll have some tests along the way around the concussion, but I think it’s mainly just about the knee at the moment.”