Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
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LIAM Picken will be fit to complete a full pre-season next year after recovering strongly from a season wiped out by repeat concussions.
The Western Bulldogs premiership hero has been back in football training for some time after overcoming a series of troubling side effects that includes light and noise sensitivity, migraines, mental wellness, vision issues and impaired balance.
Contracted for the 2019 season, Picken is back to full health and is determined to reclaim his spot in the Bulldogs senior side next year.
The Bulldogs will also have Tom Liberatore, set to resume contract discussions in coming weeks, ready for the first day of pre-season training after strong progress with his rehab from a pre-season ACL rupture.
The Dogs take on Richmond on Saturday afternoon in their final game of the season, having turned around a poor start to the season and put together a trio of successive wins.
Western Bulldogs head of football Chris Grant said yesterday the club’s medical staff had high hopes Picken, who suffered his latest hit in the pre-season against Hawthorn.
“Due to Liam’s post-concussion symptoms, we have been very cautious with Liam’s recovery, and we wanted to give him all the time he needed to return to full health,” Grant said.
“It was great to see him get to the stage where he was completing the majority of training with the main football program toward the end of the season.
“The indication from our club medical team and external specialists is positive in terms of him being able to get back on the field next season, and importantly, Liam is feeling very positive about his recovery.”
If the Dogs were in finals contention there is a chance he might have made a late-season push to return but the cautious route will give him another eight months recovery before he plays a real game.
Liberatore had put together a flawless pre-season before his knee crumpled, but he put his head down and rehabbed the injury with both club and player keen for him to sign a new deal.
“Despite the disappointment of that setback, Tom has attacked his recovery extremely well and our medical staff are very happy with the progress he has made so far,’’ Grant said.
“Tom will continue to progress through his rehab program in the off-season in preparation for the start of our 2019 pre-season.”
The Dogs have drawn exciting first seasons from top-20 picks Ed Richards and Aaron Naughton, with Josh Schache playing the last dozen games of the season for 16 goals and some excellent moments.
The Dogs are closing in a long-term contract extension for Marcus Bontempelli, with Dale Morris to play on but contract decisions ahead on Jordan Roughead, Luke Dahlhaus and Mitch Wallis.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
It's great news for Picken and the club and I hope he can get back to playing some football.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
I'm happy for him but amazed this is happening.
Surely if you spend a whole year out with concussion you have to seriously consider if the risk of going on is worth it, especially with a history of concussions and a young family. Also it isn't as if he is 20 and just starting out, he has achieved everything he will achieve short of a miracle second Premiership. He's obviously taken this into account but personally I'd be calling it.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
It's wonderful news to hear that Liam is in a form of recovery. Hopefully he's dodged a bullet for the terrible long term effects from concussion that is now well documented.
I'm a great admirer of Liam but would've preferred to see an outcome where the Club and Liam could've reached a settlement that saw him hang up his boots as a great of the Club this season.
I'm not in Liam's shoes but I can't help but feel that the risk to Liam's and his family's quality of life post 2019 far outweighing the real risk of another trauma by going around for a final season.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
soupaman
Surely if you spend a whole year out with concussion you have to seriously consider if the risk of going on is worth it
I think some players are more prone to head knocks the way they play, Picken is one of them. You couldn't confidently say he wouldn't cop another one
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Axe Man
The Bulldogs will also have Tom Liberatore, set to resume contract discussions in coming weeks, ready for the first day of pre-season training after strong progress with his rehab from a pre-season ACL rupture.
And there I was thinking Tom injured the knee in rd 1? #sloppyjournalism
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mantis
And there I was thinking Tom injured the knee in rd 1? #sloppyjournalism
The way we played that day we forgot it was round 1 and not pre-season.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bornadog
The way we played that day we forgot it was round 1 and not pre-season.
By my reckoning we missed the start of the season by two rounds. We weren't ready to play until r3.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Doc26
It's wonderful news to hear that Liam is in a form of recovery. Hopefully he's dodged a bullet for the terrible long term effects from concussion that is now well documented.
I'm a great admirer of Liam but would've preferred to see an outcome where the Club and Liam could've reached a settlement that saw him hang up his boots as a great of the Club this season.
I'm not in Liam's shoes but I can't help but feel that the risk to Liam's and his family's quality of life post 2019 far outweighing the real risk of another trauma by going around for a final season.
I get where you are coming from Doc - but I wonder if the tenacity that Liam had to display to get an opportunity to play AFL footy was so great, that to just give up on his career and hang them up wouldnt sit well with him, it goes against the grain of whats made him who he is - Id suspect hes still extremely confident he can play impactful AFL footy - and if anyone can its someone like Liam
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bulldog Revolution
I get where you are coming from Doc - but I wonder if the tenacity that Liam had to display to get an opportunity to play AFL footy was so great, that to just give up on his career and hang them up wouldnt sit well with him, it goes against the grain of whats made him who he is - Id suspect hes still extremely confident he can play impactful AFL footy - and if anyone can its someone like Liam
Exactly. You're a long time retired.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Doc26
It's wonderful news to hear that Liam is in a form of recovery. Hopefully he's dodged a bullet for the terrible long term effects from concussion that is now well documented.
I'm a great admirer of Liam but would've preferred to see an outcome where the Club and Liam could've reached a settlement that saw him hang up his boots as a great of the Club this season.
I'm not in Liam's shoes but I can't help but feel that the risk to Liam's and his family's quality of life post 2019 far outweighing the real risk of another trauma by going around for a final season.
I'm in agreeance with this. Hope to be proven wrong but is it worth it as he has nothing left to prove. He looked cook at the end of 2017 and with a year out of the game at his age it won't be any easier. the game stops for no one.
Re: Liam Picken set to play on in 2019 after recovering from multiple concussions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Doc26
It's wonderful news to hear that Liam is in a form of recovery. Hopefully he's dodged a bullet for the terrible long term effects from concussion that is now well documented.
I'm a great admirer of Liam but would've preferred to see an outcome where the Club and Liam could've reached a settlement that saw him hang up his boots as a great of the Club this season.
I'm not in Liam's shoes but I can't help but feel that the risk to Liam's and his family's quality of life post 2019 far outweighing the real risk of another trauma by going around for a final season.
Quoting because I couldn't agree more. It will make for a stressful season, waiting for Liam to get up every time he gets smacked. No one would ever question his endeavour. I just want him to be ok for life post football with his wife and kids.
