Western Bulldogs star Tom Liberatore will be sidelined indefinitely after the club confirmed he suffered another concussion in Sunday’s loss to Hawthorn.
Coach Luke Beveridge said the Bulldogs were concerned for Liberatore after he again “stumbled” on the field following a head knock during the final quarter of the game which also left him with a gash.
The 31-year-old had only just returned after he was placed in concussion protocols following an on-field collapse against Essendon in round 5.
He had been named to play against Fremantle last week but was withdrawn before the game because he felt unwell.
“Having suffered two concussions within a short space of time, Tom will be unavailable for an indefinite period as the club works through a thorough process before a return-to-play is determined,” a Bulldogs statement released on Monday night read.
Liberatore was set to receive an MRO sanction for a dangerous tackle on Hawthorn’s Will Day during the third term.
“It’s something I can’t really comment on because I saw (Liberatore) stumble in the middle of the ground and that’s concerning,” Beveridge said.
“For it to happen again this afternoon when it was only a couple of weeks ago the same thing happened, it’s a bigger concern than a one-week issue.
“We’ll take a conservative approach, we’ll look after him.”
The seven-point defeat was the Bulldogs’ fourth in five games and left them 11th on the ladder as pressure again mounts on Beveridge’s position.
Club president Kylie Watson-Wheeler said it was too early in the season to make a “rash decision” but said she was disappointed by losing a game they “expected to win”.
Watson-Wheeler said Beveridge, who has made bold selection calls this season, including to leave premiership and All-Australian defender Caleb Daniel out against the Hawks, continued to have her support.
“Yeah, he’s contracted until the end of next year, we are really focused on working together with the coaching group and we have had a lot of coaching changes as well so we are settling that in,” Watson-Wheeler told ABC Radio.
“We are focused on supporting the group we have and really ensuring we are giving them everything they need to bring that positive result on the field.
“I think you need to watch what is happening on the field consistently and what is happening within the walls of the club … we are in a bit of a phase of evolution within the team and determining how we can manage to deliver that high performance that we have the ability to do on a consistent basis.”
The Bulldogs conducted an extensive review of their football department last season that led to the appointment of Matt Egan in a newly created general manager of football operations role.
Watson-Wheeler said the club was continuing to assess how their staff was faring in the new structure but would not leap to any sudden conclusions.
“I think it’s too early in the season for us to panic or for us to make rash decisions,” she said.
“But we’re always coming together as a club and we’re always discussing where we’re at – does the playing group have what they need? Are the right decisions being made?
“This is not something that you just jump in on when you have a bad loss … these conversations are happening constantly and we’re always assessing where we are at as a