In light of concussion concerns, Luke Beveridge and Tom Liberatore collaborate closely.
As Tom Liberatore approaches his AFL comeback, Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he is collaborating closely with the midfield player. After suffering a concussion during the Bulldogs’ shocking loss to Hawthorn in April, Liberatore was declared ineligible to return to action.
Conor Nash unintentionally kicked Liberatore in the head, casting doubt on the key player for the Western Bulldogs’ future. Following his collapse on the field during the Bulldogs’ round six loss to Essendon, Liberatore was dealt a blow in his first game back.
After the game, the Bulldogs announced that the superstar would be out for an indeterminate amount of time while the club’s medical experts determined the best course of action for him. The Bulldogs said on Monday that the midfielder had been cleared to resume full training after a “specialist review and opinion”.
Luke Beveridge trying to adapt Tom Libratore’s style of play
Beveridge, however, cautions that this is not mean the Dogs gun is perfect and implies he could be one headshot away from having to retire. Beveridge stated on Tuesday, “It’s not like he walks out of the woods, comes back, plays, and everything’s fine.”
“You hold your breath every time someone who has never suffered a concussion tries to play football in a collision-like scenario. At times, you might even consider, “Leave this one alone; I’m glad he marked it.” There will still be that fear that Tom will receive another knock when he returns.
“This morning, I spoke with him about technique and craft, as well as some of the instances in which he has been struck in the head and the steps we can take to prevent it from happening in the future. Between now and when he returns to the field, we’ll work on it a little bit—basic things, just go in headfirst. He has done it before, so we can do it in different ways. We’ll discuss that with them. It’s not like we just go everything’s ok. We still feel a little uneasy.”
Liberatore was also ruled out twice in the previous season due to concussions sustained in games against Hawthorn and Fremantle. And because Liberatore’s teammate was just forced to retire due to illness, the Bulldogs are taking further safety measures with him. Due to a concussion he had in January, last year’s No. 55 draft choice Aiden O’Driscoll decided to end his career at the age of just eighteen, without ever playing in the AFL.
Liberatore will shortly resume full training after completing non-contact training in recent weeks. It is uncertain when he will be called up to the AFL team, however Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine Chris Bell stated that he should be back playing for the first team in two to three weeks.
After Tom’s most recent concussion in Round 8, “we have continued to be very diligent and thorough in our processes for assessing and managing Tom,” Bell stated.
To help with his return to play planning, a specialist’s review and advice have been involved. The good news is that we have created a systematic return to play plan that, if all goes according to plan, will see Tom playing again within the next two to three weeks following some encouraging results.”
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