Western Bulldogs premiership hero Tom Liberatore has refused to bow to external calls for him to retire, adamant he can safely play out a swan song footy season next year despite having multiple concussions in recent years.
Liberatore, 34, has revealed to Code Sports that he plans to play on again in 2027, provided he can get through the rest of this year without any serious injury issues.
A number of head knocks in recent years – seven since 2017 with the latest being against Geelong earlier this season — led some, including concussion researcher Alan Pearce, to question whether Liberatore should call time on his decorated AFL career.
“I would love to play on next year,” Liberatore said. “I just have to stay injury-free and I should be OK.
“I think it’s all pretty mutual (with the club keen for him to play on too).
“Next year will definitely be my last year. I couldn’t see myself playing on longer than that.”
If he plays next season, he could overtake his Brownlow Medal-winning father, Tony in terms of games played with the Bulldogs.
He has played 264 career matches, only 19 games behind Tony.
While Liberatore acknowledges concussion has become one of the AFL’s most serious issues, he maintains that he and the Bulldogs have done strong “due diligence” on his footy return across the past month.
He didn’t read or hear any of the narrative surrounding his own future after his concussion at GHMBA Stadium in Round 6, but insisted he had “absolute faith” in the club’s medical team.
He detailed how he had taken up meditation in recent years which has positively affected his approach to the game, both on and off the field.
“I wouldn’t say I am worried about it,” he said of the concussion debate. “But I understand why it is a big issue.”
“I just sort of do my due diligence and make sure I lead the right lifestyle outside of footy.
“I am pretty keen on psychology and meditation and all that sort of stuff. I’ve done that for a few years now.
“Meditation calms your nervous system down … it allows you to train a bit smarter, and probably with the in-game stuff, it just sharpens your mind, so you can make decisions about where to put your body.”
The midfielder said the club gave him plenty of time to recover from his last head knock, which also allowed him to have minor surgery on his troublesome knee.
“I took the time I needed (after the concussion) but it also gave me the chance to get the knee done … It was really sore.
“The body is getting there now. It’s all good.”
Liberatore believes the Bulldogs can make a late season charge into the finals after winning five of their past seven games.
They take on an out-of-form Gold Coast on Sunday.
“It’s a massive game in the context of both of our seasons,” he said. “I’m tipping the midfield battle will be a good one.
“We’ve got a really good crop of players, and we’ve got some strong leaders as well, so hopefully we can set things up for the next four or five years for the club.”