Tom Liberatore to have tests on heart and lungs after scary Friday night collapse

Western Bulldog Aiden O’Driscoll’s return to football from concussion will be guided by upcoming meetings with medical experts, as the Dogs plot a path forward for Tom Liberatore.

Tom Liberatore seen in an incident near the end of the game where he collapsed in the centre of the ground Source 7AFL

Western Bulldogs draftee Aiden O’Driscoll’s return to football from concussion will be guided by upcoming meetings with medical experts and a concussion panel as the Dogs show extreme caution over head knocks this season.

Star Tom Liberatore has been put into the concussion protocol by the Dogs after consultation with the AFL’s medical boss Michael Makdissi despite clearing a SCAT 6 concussion test on Friday night.

His dramatic collapse on Friday night in the loss to Essendon came after a crunching tackle from former teammate Jake Stringer, with the Dogs aware of the optics if he had played this week against St Kilda.

The Dogs will conduct a battery of tests on Liberatore – including on his heart and lungs – in coming days to ensure he has no further medical complications.

The decision to put Liberatore into the concussion protocol was made by the Dogs alone but they had consulted with the league.

Western Bulldogs draftee Aiden O'Driscoll.

All clubs are increasingly aware of the legal ramifications of concussion but the Dogs are also being sued by former player Liam Picken.

In his statement of claim Picken says he suffered multiple concussions across his career and believes the club breached its duty of care to him.

A Dogs outfit that kept free agent Tim English out of contact drills for a month over summer after he suffered “migraine-related symptoms” has shown similar caution with O’Driscoll.

He was knocked out in a collision with teammate Aaron Naughton that was so sickening the intraclub session was cancelled.

His concussion symptoms are gone and he has been cranking out 10km training sessions as the club’s best runner after being taken at pick 55 in last year’s draft.

But he is yet to be given permission to resume playing since that late January incident.

His brother Nathan O’Driscoll said last week he was set to meet with an AFL concussion panel to be given full clearance to resume his AFL career.

The club is hopeful he will be able to make his debut in the VFL in coming weeks but will be guided by the medical experts.

Tom Liberatore seen in an incident near the end of the game where he collapsed in the centre of the ground. Source 7AFL

Back-up ruckman Rory Lobb only lasted a half in the VFL on Friday night after injuring his ankle and could miss next week.

Liberatore’s absence came as coach Luke Beveridge admitted the club was in transition in a season where All Australians Caleb Daniel, Jackson Macrae and Bailey Dale have all been the starting sub at times.

Top 10 draft pick Ryley Sanders threw a water bottle in frustration after he was subbed off again, and it drew a withering reaction from AFL coaching record holder Mick Malthouse on ABC Radio.

“You have got to be part of the team and cop what you cop from the coach and it doesn’t matter how disappointed you are, walk off and go to your teammates and pat them on the back and help your teammates, not be part of the problem on the bench,” he said.

“Fair dinkum, I’d kick his backside so hard his toenails would curl up and he wouldn’t play next week.”

Beveridge said post-match the club would work through Sanders’ frustrations as a young first-year player upset to be taken out of the game.

Originally published as Tom Liberatore to have tests on heart and lungs after scary Friday night collapse