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Re: WBFC - Player Contract Status
Rehab first, then contract talks for Libba
THE WESTERN Bulldogs will ramp up contract talks with free agent Tom Liberatore later in the season as he continues his recovery from a second knee reconstruction.
The premiership midfielder went down with the injury in round one after a strong pre-season following a disappointing 2017 campaign.
The 26-year-old falls out of contract at the end of the season, but the Dogs' new list manager Sam Power told AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft podcast that the club's focus has been Liberatore's recovery.
"We're having constant discussions with Tom, and the priority for Tom, which the club and his management agreed, was to really focus on his rehab in that initial phase," Power said.
"To Tom's credit he's attacked it really well so far, so we'll get to that in terms of deeper discussions at the appropriate time in the back half of the year."
Liberatore, who has played 117 games for the Dogs, missed the entire 2015 season with a reconstruction to his other knee. Power was reluctant to put a timeline on when discussions would intensify.
"We'll just keep assessing it. It's been purely [about] getting his rehab right, getting him feeling really comfortable and back into the club," he said.
"Obviously when he first did the knee he was away resting for a period of the time. He's back in at the club now and is getting into more training.
"It's one that, again, [we're] in constant communications with his manager and everyone's really comfortable with where it's at."
Liberatore is one of several free agents on the Dogs' list this year, alongside Luke Dahlhaus and Dale Morris as unrestricted agents. Jordan Roughead and Mitch Wallis qualify as restricted free agents.
Power provided an update on the status of the out-of-contract players on the Road to the Draft podcast, and also touched on the future of star Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli.
Bontempelli is signed through to the end of 2019, but initial talks have opened to extend his stay ahead of the start of next season.
"It's all been really positive at this stage. Obviously, they can take a while and given he isn't out until the end of next year, there's no real rush right at the moment.
"But in saying that it's all been really positive and all the indications from both parties have been really good," Power said.
Rehab first, then contract talks for Libba
THE WESTERN Bulldogs will ramp up contract talks with free agent Tom Liberatore later in the season as he continues his recovery from a second knee reconstruction.
The premiership midfielder went down with the injury in round one after a strong pre-season following a disappointing 2017 campaign.
The 26-year-old falls out of contract at the end of the season, but the Dogs' new list manager Sam Power told AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft podcast that the club's focus has been Liberatore's recovery.
"We're having constant discussions with Tom, and the priority for Tom, which the club and his management agreed, was to really focus on his rehab in that initial phase," Power said.
"To Tom's credit he's attacked it really well so far, so we'll get to that in terms of deeper discussions at the appropriate time in the back half of the year."
Liberatore, who has played 117 games for the Dogs, missed the entire 2015 season with a reconstruction to his other knee. Power was reluctant to put a timeline on when discussions would intensify.
"We'll just keep assessing it. It's been purely [about] getting his rehab right, getting him feeling really comfortable and back into the club," he said.
"Obviously when he first did the knee he was away resting for a period of the time. He's back in at the club now and is getting into more training.
"It's one that, again, [we're] in constant communications with his manager and everyone's really comfortable with where it's at."
Liberatore is one of several free agents on the Dogs' list this year, alongside Luke Dahlhaus and Dale Morris as unrestricted agents. Jordan Roughead and Mitch Wallis qualify as restricted free agents.
Power provided an update on the status of the out-of-contract players on the Road to the Draft podcast, and also touched on the future of star Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli.
Bontempelli is signed through to the end of 2019, but initial talks have opened to extend his stay ahead of the start of next season.
"It's all been really positive at this stage. Obviously, they can take a while and given he isn't out until the end of next year, there's no real rush right at the moment.
"But in saying that it's all been really positive and all the indications from both parties have been really good," Power said.
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