Tom Liberatore

[angelopetraglia]

Tom Liberatore cleared to soon make AFL return after concussion woes (Jon Ralph)

Tom Liberatore has not been sighted since the Dogs went down to the Hawks, but the ball-winning bull looks set to be on track for an AFL return.

Tom Liberatore has been cleared to return to football despite five concussions and four incidents since last season.

The brilliant Dogs inside midfielder has been given medical clearance to return to the game in coming weeks after a series of worrying incidents this season.

He collapsed after a pair of hits in the Essendon clash and then again stumbled and fell after clipping Conor Nash’s boot in an incident that saw him cut open.

But the Dogs have cleared him to return to the game despite that worrying concussion history.

Only last week the Dogs had their young draftee Aiden O’Driscoll medically retired by the AFL after a single head knock which caused damage on his most recent brain scans.

The Dogs dedicated their win over GWS to O’Driscoll after his torrid involvement with AFL football.

He is set to secure a $250,000 career-ending injury payout as well as being paid out the two seasons of his contract at around $110,000.

But Liberatore has been training solidly in recent weeks and is determined to return to the game.

He is hoping to return within three weeks even though his combative style of play means it is difficult for him to minimise the head knocks that are a part of football.

Dogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said the club had made the decision it was safe for Liberatore to return.

“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 a devised a structured return to play plan, that if everything goes well, will see Tom returning to play across the next 2-3 weeks.”

Ralph also tweeted Liberatore cleared to play despite five concussions in recent years and four since the mid-point of last season. Cleared by specialists, very unwilling to retire.

[EasternWest]

Well there you go. Only an hour ago I posted this wasn't likely to happen based on my ample gut's feeling.

I dunno, I'm still iffy on it to be honest. One knock and he's done, and the way he plays one knock isn't inconceivable. I'll hold my fire on commenting as to whether this is good to hear or not.

[angelopetraglia]

I dunno, I'm still iffy on it to be honest. One knock and he's done, and the way he plays one knock isn't inconceivable. I'll hold my fire on commenting as to whether this is good to hear or not.

I have a similar view. However, you would think that the specialists are assessing the information and making the right decision based on evidence. Surely this is not guess work. Like they did with Brayshaw and Murphy. Also O'Driscoll last week.

So if they are clearing him, that must mean that he is OK from what they can measure. Surely that is a positive sign. You would hope that they are not just guessing.

[ledge]

Dare I say it. I think Richard’s in the middle is better than Libba, we need Richard’s so who goes out for Libba or could we fit Libba in another role and what role ?
No disrespect for Libba but he doesn’t give us the speed and run out of the middle like Richards does, looking at a few teams this year they have burst players eg Reid yesterday, that is something you won’t get with Libba.

[EasternWest]

I have a similar view. However, you would think that the specialists are assessing the information and making the right decision based on evidence. Surely this is not guess work. Like they did with Brayshaw and Murphy. Also O'Driscoll last week.

So if they are clearing him, that must mean that he is OK from what they can measure. Surely that is a positive sign. You would hope that they are not just guessing.

That's fair.

[bornadog]

I dunno, I'm still iffy on it to be honest. One knock and he's done, and the way he plays one knock isn't inconceivable. I'll hold my fire on commenting as to whether this is good to hear or not.

I am scared.

[azabob]

I am scared.

I am also apprehensive with this news.

[Hotdog60]

I think Libba goes to a forward pocket and leave Richards in the middle.
Libba would be a handy small forward and may offer less contact.

[jazzadogs]

I have a similar view. However, you would think that the specialists are assessing the information and making the right decision based on evidence. Surely this is not guess work. Like they did with Brayshaw and Murphy. Also O'Driscoll last week.

So if they are clearing him, that must mean that he is OK from what they can measure. Surely that is a positive sign. You would hope that they are not just guessing.

Yeh...they still cleared the first five or six concussions though. It was only once the symptoms didn't go away that they stopped them from playing.

I'm still really concerned for Tom and hope that he is able to stay safe when he does return to play.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Well there you go. Only an hour ago I posted this wasn't likely to happen based on my ample gut's feeling.

Well at least we can disavow ourselves of any ANY thoughts, nice and early, that your ample (your words, not mine) tum-tums may somehow possess future telling capabilities.

[jeemak]

Trade YHF.

[FrediKanoute]

Dare I say it. I think Richard?s in the middle is better than Libba, we need Richard?s so who goes out for Libba or could we fit Libba in another role and what role ?
No disrespect for Libba but he doesn?t give us the speed and run out of the middle like Richards does, looking at a few teams this year they have burst players eg Reid yesterday, that is something you won?t get with Libba.

Funny I was going to pose this and query whether we were a better team with Libba not playing in the middle.

[ledge]

Funny I was going to pose this and query whether we were a better team with Libba not playing in the middle.

We are definitely quicker and those 5 goal runs teams had against us have dried up.

[azabob]

Trade YHF.

If that fails NETS

[AshMac]

I think Libba goes to a forward pocket and leave Richards in the middle.
Libba would be a handy small forward and may offer less contact.

I love this idea. Intense forward pressure. Stoppage and stoppage after stoppage in there.

I actually don?t want him to come back. I love him like all of you but some things are more important.

[jazzadogs]

We are definitely quicker and those 5 goal runs teams had against us have dried up.

I think there have been many fans advocating for changing up the midfield mix, and it has been forced upon us to some degree. We still only had four mids attend centre bounces on the weekend. Richards 14/18, Treloar 13, Gallagher 11, Bont 10.

I find it really difficult to agree that we are better without Libba - but we are better with more of a mix.

[EasternWest]

I love this idea. Intense forward pressure. Stoppage and stoppage after stoppage in there.

Yes, no, maybe. I would worry about the slingshot out of defense because Libba is slow and old like Happy Days.

[angelopetraglia]

Bevo in the presser this morning. Saying they will work with Libba in regards to his craft to help him mitigate not being hit in the head. Ground level sutff, not charging in head first. Tom has been good about that over a long period of time with his technique (reading into more that what he was saying, is that Libba might have changed his technique lately at times, thinking back at the Freo and Hawks Tasmania concussions, he did go head first at a ground ball).

He did say that they are still nervous about Libba.

[ledge]

Bevo in the presser this morning. Saying they will work with Libba in regards to his craft to help him mitigate not being hit in the head. Ground level sutff, not charging in head first. Tom has been good about that over a long period of time with his technique (reading into more that what he was saying, is that Libba might have changed his technique lately a times, thinking back at the Freo and Hawk concussions, he did go head first at a ground ball).

He did say that they are still nervous about Libba.

Not much he could do to stop that kick in the head.

[bornadog]

Not much he could do to stop that kick in the head.

I still think that kick was deliberate, if not very careless

[angelopetraglia]

Not much he could do to stop that kick in the head.

Agree. However, I do think he contributed to the Hawks concussion in Tasmania.

[angelopetraglia]

Check out the footage of how Libba charges at this ball head first without turning his body or protecting himself. This was reckless. I think this is what Bevo is talking about in regards to his technique.

https://www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/4973#match-report (video is 3/4 down the page labelled "Libba subbed with concussion in big Bulldogs blow")