Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is working closely with Tom Liberatore as the midfielder approaches his AFL return. Liberatore had been sidelined indefinitely after suffering a concussion in April during the Bulldogs’ unexpected loss to Hawthorn.
Liberatore was accidentally kicked in the head by Conor Nash, raising concerns about his future. This injury occurred during his first game back after collapsing on the field during the Bulldogs’ round six loss to Essendon.
The Bulldogs announced that Liberatore would be out indefinitely as the medical team determined the best recovery plan. However, on Monday, the club revealed that after a specialist review, the midfielder had been cleared to resume full training.
Despite this clearance, Beveridge is helping Liberatore adjust his playing style to reduce the risk of future injuries. Beveridge emphasized that Liberatore is not completely out of danger and could face retirement with another head injury. “Each time anyone who’s never had a concussion goes for the footy in a collision-type situation you hold your breath,” Beveridge said. “With Tom, when he comes back, there’ll still be that nervousness that he might cop another knock.”
Liberatore had also been sidelined with concussions twice last year after incidents against Fremantle and Hawthorn. Given his history and the recent forced retirement of teammate Aiden O’Driscoll due to a concussion, the Bulldogs are being particularly cautious.
Liberatore has been participating in non-contact training recently and will soon join full training sessions. Although there is no exact date for his return to the AFL side, Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine, Chris Bell, indicated that the plan is for Liberatore to be back in action within two to three weeks.
“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.”
