Bulldogs Blow: Dogs confirm Liberatore ACL

Tom Liberatore

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Reigning Bulldogs best-and-fairest winner Liberatore was meant to take over the reins as the club’s best midfielder following the departure of veterans Ryan Griffen, Shaun Higgins and Adam Cooney during a tumultuous off-season that also saw the sacking of former coach Brendan McCartney.

But new coach Luke Beveridge will have to find someone else to fill the hole after Liberatore’s knee buckled under him during the first quarter of Saturday’s NAB Challenge match at Whitten Oval as the midfielder was tackled by Richmond’s Tyrone Vickery.

And, the Dogs’ worst fears for the 22-year-old were confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

"Our initial prognosis of an ACL tear was confirmed today by MRI, and we are all feeling for Tom, who is an integral part of our team," said football manager Graham Lowe.

"He is in good spirits, however, and we know he will take his rehabilitation in his stride. Tom is an extremely resilient young man, and will return bigger and better from this setback."

Liberatore will undergo a traditional reconstruction, one that generally requires 10 to 12 months rehabilitation.

In what proved a terrible few days for the competition, Liberatore’s knee injury came hot on the heels of another ruptured ACL, this time suffered by another reigning best-and-fairest winner in West Coast defender Mackenzie during Friday’s clash with Carlton.

Mackenzie has played 71 of the last 75 games and has established himself as one of the competition’s key defenders, having done fantastic shut-down jobs on the likes of Lance Franklin and others last season.

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