Tom Liberatore

[Sedat]

Re: Tom Liberatore

We will be screwed with no first rounder, then no Libba, Dunkley, Hunter, no Smith next year, Macrae & Daniel all but cooked. Life’s not going to be fun but there’s a lot more to focus on for Libba and those who love or idolise him.

He's a father and a family man first and foremost. Nothing else frankly matters.

If we don't see him out on the park again, he has already given us so many wonderful memories. He needs to be given the best possible advice to ensure the rest of his life is able to be lived to its fullest without cognitive impairment. He and his family deserve nothing less.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Tom Liberatore

He's a father and a family man first and foremost. Nothing else frankly matters.

If we don't see him out on the park again, he has already given us so many wonderful memories. He needs to be given the best possible advice to ensure the rest of his life is able to be lived to its fullest without cognitive impairment. He and his family deserve nothing less.

100%.

[hujsh]

Re: Tom Liberatore

He's a father and a family man first and foremost. Nothing else frankly matters.

If we don't see him out on the park again, he has already given us so many wonderful memories. He needs to be given the best possible advice to ensure the rest of his life is able to be lived to its fullest without cognitive impairment. He and his family deserve nothing less.

He has given us enough. Someone else needs to step up and carry his load

[Sedat]

Re: Tom Liberatore

I?m sinking into a state of deep football depression.

The clubs short term prospects looks clouded and just the thought of not seeing Tom Liberatore run out again in the red, white and blue is enough to send me into a deep hole.

I take a different approach. We are being absolutely smashed from pillar to post by everyone in the footy community - we should batten down the hatches, eliminate all the irrelevant external white noise, look each other in the eye and dedicate the rest of this season to Libba. There would be no greater legacy for his playing career than to have success this year using him as the guide and inspiration.

It would be too easy for the club to revert to victim mode, which would be deeply insulting to the way Libba has played throughout his career. We must be better than that and chase this season like there is no tomorrow, because for a number of players and the senior coach there may well literally be no tomorrow. They are privileged to be able to play/coach footy every week (something that might have been prematurely taken away from Libba), and they are duty-bound to make the absolute most of every moment and every game. Park 2025 and beyond to the side and focus on the now - great things can be achieved with laser focus, clarity, persistence and determination.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Tom Liberatore

Tom is such a heart and soul player we will miss him incredibly, but I just don't see how continuing on can be worth the risk for him.
As much as his teammates need him (and they clearly do need him!) it pales into comparison as to how much his family need him.

Thank you for your contribution Tom, for giving me and many thousands of others some amazing football memories.
You deservedly sit right up there amongst the most important footballers of this club's history.

Obviously I'm being very premature, but I just don't want to see this legend to endure anymore head knocks, and the type of player he is, he's not going to help himself with how he plays; its in his DNA.

[GVGjr]

Re: Tom Liberatore

Tom is such a heart and soul player we will miss him incredibly, but I just don't see how continuing on can be worth the risk for him.
As much as his teammates need him (and they clearly do need him!) it pales into comparison as to how much his family need him.

Thank you for your contribution Tom, for giving me and many thousands of others some amazing football memories.
You deservedly sit right up there amongst the most important footballers of this club's history.

Obviously I'm being very premature, but I just don't want to see this legend to endure anymore head knocks, and the type of player he is, he's not going to help himself with how he plays; its in his DNA.

If one good thing has come out of all this dreadful concussion challenges that the competition is going through is how the supporters are now so understanding and acknowledging that it's not worth taking the risk and the need to look at the bigger picture.

I'm not so sure that even 5 years or so ago that the sentiment would have been what we are now seeing from our supporters.

[josie]

Re: Tom Liberatore

All heartfelt posts. Agree Sedat- let?s dedicate rest of season to the most beloved player.

[EasternWest]

Re: Tom Liberatore

He's a father and a family man first and foremost. Nothing else frankly matters.

If we don't see him out on the park again, he has already given us so many wonderful memories. He needs to be given the best possible advice to ensure the rest of his life is able to be lived to its fullest without cognitive impairment. He and his family deserve nothing less.

And let's never overlook what he gave the people of Vietnam.

[ledge]

Re: Tom Liberatore

If the AFL is serious on head hits why don’t they instruct umpires to call holding the ball earlier rather than wait for the tackler to have to bring the player to the ground ?
180 swing is enough, blow the whistle.
Players have been told to hold the ball as long as possible while getting tackled and don’t let it go so you don’t get called for dropping it.
Holding the ball is given way too much leeway. These head hits on the ground would at least half if umpires were instructed to blow the bloody whistle .

[jeemak]

Re: Tom Liberatore

I?m not going to advocate telling Tom that he can?t do everything he can to earn. To an extent his risk is his to own.

Continuing is a few hundred gorillas and to him that vs. where he is today is probably pretty big.

If the club steps in and stops him playing then that?s ok too, but we as supporters can?t pretend he has nothing to gain from continuing.

[Bornadog]

Re: Tom Liberatore

I?m not going to advocate telling Tom that he can?t do everything he can to earn. To an extent his risk is his to own.

Continuing is a few hundred gorillas and to him that vs. where he is today is probably pretty big.

If the club steps in and stops him playing then that?s ok too, but we as supporters can?t pretend he has nothing to gain from continuing.

He will receive medical advice and make a decision from there. Whatever he chooses as you say is up to him. If he chooses to retire, it will be sad, and we will remember him for a long time, just like his father.

[Mofra]

Re: Tom Liberatore

Tom's a father now too so that surely has to factor into his thinking. I'd hate to see another Picken / Kellett scenario

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Tom Liberatore

If the AFL is serious on head hits why don’t they instruct umpires to call holding the ball earlier rather than wait for the tackler to have to bring the player to the ground ?
180 swing is enough, blow the whistle.
Players have been told to hold the ball as long as possible while getting tackled and don’t let it go so you don’t get called for dropping it.
Holding the ball is given way too much leeway. These head hits on the ground would at least half if umpires were instructed to blow the bloody whistle .

This is so much the required action and it should not need any sort of 360.
There needs an immediate whistle on a tackle and we need to penalise the player who makes no effort for anything other than a stoppage.
Stop rewarding players for putting themselves in unnecessary danger

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Tom Liberatore

He has given us enough. Someone else needs to step up and carry his load

This sums up the state of our team - no one steps up. No one grabs that initiative and says, "come on lads, follow me".

[macca]

Re: Tom Liberatore

Take are Tom of your health first, you have given the club heaps in spades.