Liberatore back in Dogs' good graces

[bornadog]

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MISBEHAVING midfielder Tom Liberatore is back in the Bulldogs' good books in time for the pre-season campaign next week.

Liberatore will join the rest of the senior list returning to training on Monday to prepare for an exhibition game in London next Saturday night.

"He got a taste of what it was like to be in the real world when you don't have a footy club to have the arms around you," Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said.

Son of former Dogs great Tony Liberatore, the 20-year-old was suspended for the last four rounds and ordered to train away from teammates after being found drunk and in possession of an ecstasy tablet early on a Sunday morning in August.

"Tom has been outstanding in terms of seeing through the punishment that was handed out, which included some geniune labour and he trained an extra three weeks (away) from the team. And they were morning and afternoon sessions," Fantasia said.

"He had a realisation that this is too good an opportunity for him to mess up. There's a determination and I think he has grown up a lot, which is important."

Trade pick-ups Tom Young (Collingwood) and Koby Stevens (West Coast) are expected to get an early chance to impress in the modified 16-a-side with eight on the interchange bench against Port Adelaide at The Oval.

"Normally you have a staggered (pre-season) start with some of your more senior players, but they've all agreed to come back on Monday," Fantasia said.

"When we got the nod to play the game in London, we just thought it was the perfect opportunity with such a young group to tie in the normal bounding with an educational experience in what's not a typical pre-season camp."

The Bulldogs will send groups of players, coaches and staff on visits to Premier League clubs Fulham, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham. And Fantasia and Power counterpart Peter Rohde have already briefly discussed the exhibition and how best to derive mutual benefit from the match practice so soon after what's effectively the start of the 2013 season.

"From the discussions I've had with Peter, we're both going to approach it in the right manner. When you take on the responsibility to play these games, you know you're there for a geniune opportunity to showcase AFL footy," Fantasia said.

[LostDoggy]

Hope he learns from it. We all stuff up.

[LostDoggy]

Hope he learns from it. We all stuff up.

Yep, some of us more than others.

[DragzLS1]

Great character and determination think he has learnt from his mistake and will only help him grow. Cant wait to see young Libba out there in season 2013

[westdog54]

Good to see him back on deck and with a smile on his face. I know its not the best photo to judge but he looks in pretty good shape so he's been keeping to his training schedule away from the group.

[AndrewP6]

Good to see him back on deck and with a smile on his face. I know its not the best photo to judge but he looks in pretty good shape so he's been keeping to his training schedule away from the group.

I'm pretty sure that's not a new photo, I'm certain I've seen it elsewhere.

[w3design]

I hope B Mac. buddies him up with Cross and Boyd as his training partners for the entire preseason. He could hardly work with two better role models. Besides, after each training day he would be too damn tired to even contemplate mischief. All he would want to do at night would be go to bed.

[azabob]

He has all the tools required to play 200 plus games, I hope he fulfills his potential and does exactly that.