Western Bulldogs track watch: Liam Jones learns fate over hamstring injury
The injury news keeps getting worse and worse for the Western Bulldogs, with a massive blow dealt to its defensive stocks after key pillar Liam Jones learned the extent of his hamstring strain.
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The Western Bulldogs have been dealt another massive injury setback with star defender Liam Jones out for up to 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.
The club on Monday confirmed the 33-year-old had suffered a high-grade hamstring strain in Sunday’s scratch match and would be unavailable to train until about Round 5.
It means the Dogs will start the 2025 season without Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (personal), Jones, speedster Jason Johannisen (hamstring) and veteran ballwinner Adam Treloar (calf), while ruckman Tim English is also under a cloud with an abdominal strain.
Jones’s injury means the club will be vulnerable down back early and heavily reliant on Rory Lobb who was only swung back into a key defensive position for the first time in his career late last season.
The latest injury is a hammer blow for out-of-contract coach Luke Beveridge who must help the Dogs climb a steep mountain without some of his most important players in the early part of the season.
The Dogs look prepared to start the season without handing its coach a contract extension but the pressure could mount quickly without as many as three of his first-choice key position players.
The Dogs face a difficult opening month against the Kangaroos (Marvel Stadium), Collingwood (MCG), Carlton (Marvel), Fremantle (Optus Stadium) and Brisbane (Norwood Oval) over the first five rounds.
And superstar captain Marcus Bontempelli also remains out of contract and will attract league-wide interest as a free agent in the event he holds off on a new deal in the first half of the season.
Bontempelli is considered one of the top few players in the club’s history.
The Dogs will look to make major changes at both ends without Ugle-Hagan and Jones in the club’s two preseason games against Essendon (February 15) and Hawthorn (February 27) before the season-opener against the Kangas on March 15.
Tall utilities Ryan Gardner, James O’Donnell and Jordan Croft all played in the forward half on Sunday to help cover Ugle-Hagan’s absence.
At least one key forward could be swung back into defence to help Lobb, while backmen Buku Khamis and Jedd Busslinger could also be given key defensive responsibilities.
The club is unsure when Ugle-Hagan will return to the kennel for training after being placed on a flexible program due to personal issues.
The spate of injuries and issues means the club’s next two preseason games will take on extra importance for the Dogs as Beveridge makes considerable running repairs before the season begins.
Jones has been the cornerstone in the Dogs’ defence and an ultra-reliable contributor in the past two seasons, finishing fifth and fourth in the past two best and fairests.
Ace youngster Sam Darcy will partner Aaron Naughton in the forward half again this season although Naughton has endured a limited preseason and also has some concerns.
Naughton was quiet in the first half on Sunday and was taken off after the main change.
Livewire Cody Weightman also played only one quarter and will look to build his fitness over the pair of preseason games.
Jones is the club’s best and most reliable key defender but his injury shows the club must develop other younger options to help take some of the load from the former Blue.
The full-back will not participate in the AFL’s indigenous All-Stars game against Fremantle in Perth on February 15.
YOUNG PUP SET TO STEP UP IN TRELOAR’S ABSENCE
Western Bulldogs’ young gun Ryley Sanders is ready to make a big impact in his second season after a sensational Rising Star snub last year.
The hard nut midfielder who was overlooked for a Rising Star nomination across 14 games last season was best-on-ground in the club’s intra-club match in hot conditions in Maroochydore on Sunday.
Sanders, 20, kicked three goals and won a truckload of the ball out of the middle, showing he is ready to become a mainstay in the club’s engine in 2025 after a decent spell in the VFL in the middle part of last season.
And mature-age pickup Sam Davidson continued to firm for Round 1 selection against North Melbourne after booting three goals playing wing-half forward, while Harvey Gallagher shone in a new half back role.
Tall utilities James O’Donnell, Ryan Gardner and Jordan Croft all worked through a key forward position in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s absence but could be forced to swing back to help cover Liam Jones’ hamstring injury in another headache for coach Luke Beveridge.
But Sanders’ statement was a significant one for the Dogs who will look to the ball magnet to help cover for Adam Treloar, who will be sidelined for up to three months with a calf strain.
A natural onballer, Sanders’ development is crucial for the Dogs as he was taken with pick six in the 2023 national draft and is a certain target for new club Tasmania ahead its AFL entry in 2028.
Gun playmaker Bailey Dale said it was an eye-catching performance from Sanders as the club prepares to rejig the midfield mix without traded premiership stars Jack Macrae and Caleb Daniel.
“Definitely Sando. He burst out of the midfield a few times and I think he ended up with three or four goals,” Dale said.
“For him to do that and start to play a bit more midfield time for us that will be great.
“I feel like Sando has had a really, really good preseason and Riley Garcia as well, just being able to fill those holes we are probably going to have early on in the season without Adsy (Treloar) out.
“Plus, losing guys like Jack (Macrae) and CD (Daniel) last year, there are plenty of options for those guys now to roll through the mids, and I’m sure they’re going to take it with both hands.”
Sanders looks set to partner Ed Richards, Tom Liberatore, Marcus Bontempelli, Matthew Kennedy and Garcia in the onball rotation this season with Bontempelli a chance to be sent forward at times.
Richards has been among the stand-outs this preseason, while Liberatore was a strong performer in the clearances on Sunday.
As the Herald Sun revealed last week, Davidson, 23, is also in the frame for a shock debut next month after kicking another three goals on Sunday.
He was taken with pick 51 in the draft from Richmond’s VFL team and showcased his enormous engine in the heat on Sunday.
“He (Davidson) has made the step up (from VFL to AFL) pretty easily at the moment,” Dale said.
“He is running some really good patterns on the wing and in the forward line and kicking some goals.”
The Dogs face a tough decision with their remaining list spot as VFL onball hard nut Dom Brew and Southport ruckman Brayden Crossley fight for a chance.
Brew could be insurance for Liberatore who has a concussion history, while Crossley could help back-up injured big man Tim English (abdominal strain) and Gardner.
“I thought Dom was pretty good, obviously inside and in-and-under is his go,” Dale said.
“He was pretty clean in there and pretty strong.
“And ‘Croz’, who we all met yesterday pretty much – he has had a pretty good game to be honest.
“He was really impressive in the ruck. He is pretty hard to move in there.
“He laid a tackle on me and I was like ‘Ease up, big fella (laughing). Don’t put your body weight on me.”
VETERAN IN DOUBT FOR ROUND ONE
Western Bulldogs’ star defender Liam Jones is in a race to be ready for Round 1 after hurting his hamstring in an intra-club game in Maroochydore on Sunday.
Jones, 33, was sent for scans after coming off the ground late with hamstring tightness in another significant injury worry for the Dogs.
While the club is hopeful the injury is only minor, it continues a terrible run for the Dogs after losing gun midfielder Adam Treloar (calf) and Jason Johannisen (hamstring) for three months, star ruckman Tim English (abdominal strain) as well as ace forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (personal) for an indefinite period.
Spearhead Aaron Naughton only played a half and was quiet in Sunday’s scratch match as the injury worries continued to mount for out-of-contract coach Luke Beveridge ahead of a big call on his future.
Jones is the cornerstone of the club’s defence and would be unlikely to play in the club’s two preseason games against Essendon (February 15) and Hawthorn (February 27) if he has suffered a hamstring strain ahead of the season-opener against North Melbourne (March 15).
A more significant hamstring injury would be a disaster for the club ahead of a tough opening month against the Kangaroos (Marvel Stadium), Collingwood (MCG), Carlton (Marvel), Fremantle (Optus Stadium) and Brisbane (Norwood Oval).
Tall utilities James O’Donnell, Ryan Gardner and Jordan Croft spent time in the forward line on Sunday as coverage for Ugle-Hagan but could be swapped into defence to help replace Jones.
But there was excitement around the performances of youngster Ryley Sanders who starred in the midfield and Harvey Gallagher helping rebound off half back and Round 1 bolter Sam Davidson on a wing-half forward.
The Dogs will await the results of Jones’ scans on Monday and are certain to be cautious with him in the hope he will be fit for the season-opener against the Kangas in 40 days’ time.
Backman Bailey Dale said the setback was “not ideal”.
“He (Jones) went for a mark and landed and couldn’t take his kick,” Dale said.
“They will get scans this arvo and obviously if he misses a bit of the season at the start of the year it is not ideal for us.
“But we have some young guys down there who can hopefully fill the role.”
It is the third serious soft tissue problem in the past two weeks for a club desperate to go deep into September this year after losing to Hawthorn in last year’s elimination final.
Dale said the Dogs had full belief in their list.
“Top-four is what we are striving for,” Dale said.
“We think we have got the list (to challenge). We have got the players.
“It is just trying to bring it all together because our best footy is some of the best in the league – we showed that in glimpses last year.
“We are just trying to build on that and find that continuity week-to-week and keep showing up week-to-week.”
Dale said the club was confident in its goal kicking depth in Ugle-Hagan’s absence.
“There’s options there. Obviously ‘Marra’ is a key player at our club and we are going to miss him but there’s guys there who want to take the opportunity and step up,” he said.
“His (Ugle-Hagan’s) personal stuff has to come first and we understand that, so we are going to support him and hopefully he can get back to the club as soon as possible.”
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