AFL 2022: Western Bulldogs star Tom Liberatore ruled out of elimination final against Fremantle

Fremantle has lost captain Nat Fyfe to injury and now their elimination finals opponents the Western Bulldogs are down a key man.

Bulldog Tom Liberatore won’t play against Fremantle. Picture: Michael Klein

The Western Bulldogs have been hit with a blow after midfield star Tom Liberatore was ruled out of Saturday’s elimination final against Fremantle due to a hamstring injury.

Liberatore, who has played every game in 2022, suffered the injury at training last week and scans confirmed a hamstring strain.

It’s unclear whether Liberatore would be able to return should the Dogs take down the Dockers and continue beyond this weekend in the finals.

“He had an over-stretch last week and got through the whole session but we did some investigations and he won’t play this week, unfortunately,” coach Luke Beveridge said on Wednesday.

“If we get through, he’ll be touch and go beyond that.”

Tom Liberatore will miss this weekend’s Elimination Final against Fremantle due to a hamstring injury.https://t.co/rfjbMaThgB

— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) August 30, 2022

Teammate Bailey Smith also remains under an injury cloud for the Bulldogs, who finished eighth, qualifying for the finals after Carlton lost to Collingwood in the final round.

But coach Luke Beveridge declared the star on-baller would play, having been nursed through some training.

“He’ll train this morning and we expect him to be available, he’s doing everything out here today,” he said.

“He’s just got this legacy load that we manage here and there.”

Beveridge said premiership player Toby McLean could be recalled to play his full game since round 16 last year after a battle with injury.

“There’s an opportunity for someone else to come in and play a forward say wing-type role or just a permanent-forward-type role and that might really work for us,” Beveridge said

“Whether it’s Toby McLean, Jason Johannisen, Rhylee West or Riley Garcia there’s an opening there so we’ll see the positives in it, but when we played against Fremantle a few weeks ago Tom was high on clearance and he’s had a really consistent year so he will be hard to cover at the coalface.”

The Dockers will also be without captain Nat Fyfe, who was also ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury.