MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 20: Luke Beveridge, Senior Coach of the Bulldogs looks on during the 2023 AFL Round 23 match between the Western Bulldogs and the West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium on August 20, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Western Bulldogs Coach Luke Beveridge Provides Concerning Update on Tom Liberatore Ahead of AFL Return
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has revealed that he is closely monitoring Tom Liberatore as the midfielder approaches his AFL comeback. Liberatore has been sidelined indefinitely since sustaining a concussion in April during the Bulldogs’ unexpected loss to Hawthorn.
The incident occurred when Liberatore was accidentally kicked in the head by Conor Nash, casting doubt on the future of the Bulldogs’ star player. This setback came shortly after Liberatore collapsed on the field during the Bulldogs’ round six defeat against Essendon.
Following the match, the Bulldogs announced Liberatore would undergo an indefinite period of recovery while the club’s medical team devised the best path forward for the midfielder. However, on Monday, the Bulldogs confirmed that after a “specialist review and opinion,” Liberatore had been cleared to resume full training.
Despite the clearance, Beveridge emphasized that Liberatore’s return does not mean he is completely out of danger, suggesting he could be one head knock away from a forced retirement. “It’s not like he’s just out of the woods and he comes back and plays and everything’s ok,” Beveridge said on Tuesday.
“Each time anyone who’s never had a concussion goes for the footy in a collision-type situation you hold your breath. Sometimes you even think ‘Don’t go for this one, happy for him to mark it’, whatever it may be. With Tom, when he comes back there’ll still be that nervousness that he might cop another knock.”
Beveridge added that he has been working closely with Liberatore to adapt his style of play to mitigate the risk of future head injuries. “I was talking to him this morning around technique and craft and some of the situations where he’s been hit in the head and what we can do to mitigate against it happening again,” Beveridge said.
Liberatore, who has a history of concussions, was also sidelined twice last year due to similar incidents against Fremantle and Hawthorn. With teammate Aiden O’Driscoll recently forced to retire due to a concussion suffered in January, the Bulldogs are taking extra precautions with Liberatore.
The midfielder has been undergoing non-contact training in recent weeks and is expected to return to full training soon. Although there is no specific timeline for his return to the AFL side, Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine Chris Bell stated that Liberatore is planned to make a comeback to first-team action in the next 2-3 weeks if all goes well.
“We have continued to be very diligent and thorough in our processes for assessing and managing Tom following his most recent concussion in Round 8,” Bell said. “This has involved specialist review and opinion to help guide his return to play planning. In some great news, after some reassuring results, we have devised a structured return to play plan, that if everything goes well, will see Tom returning to play across the next 2-3 weeks.”
The Bulldogs remain cautious about Liberatore’s return, prioritizing his long-term health and well-being over immediate AFL appearances.
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