WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says Tom Liberatore does not need to consult the AFL's concussion panel, with the club expecting the veteran to return to action as soon as round eight.
Liberatore suffered a concussion during the Bulldogs' 75-point thumping by Geelong last Friday night, his seventh since 2017.
His night ended late in the second quarter and he spent the rest of the game in the rooms rather than returning to the bench.
In 2024, following four concussions across a period of 22 games, Liberatore underwent a range of tests and the club sought opinions from external specialists before being cleared to return.
However, he never had prolonged symptoms and never faced the AFL's concussion panel.
Speaking on Tuesday, Beveridge said Liberatore is recovering well from the latest incident and he expects the midfielder to return once he clears the mandatory 12-day protocols, which means he could play against Fremantle in round eight.
"Tom's in (at the club) today. He's OK. He has come out of the game pretty good," Beveridge said.
"He's feeling well, he's sleeping, he hasn't got any headaches or anything like that, so it's good signs."
Despite Liberatore's history, Beveridge reiterated there is no need to involve the AFL's concussion panel and clarified that the midfielder has never faced the panel before.
"He hasn't been to a concussion panel," Beveridge said.
"No, my understanding is that he'll go through the usual protocols, and whether that means he's available for the Fremantle game, or not, I'm not sure.
"We're pretty conservative looking after players who've had a head knock or two.
"If there are any signs that Tom needs a bit longer, I'm sure our medical crew won't let him play. But he seems to be OK. But he hasn't been to a panel."
Beveridge is facing a mounting injury list, with skipper Marcus Bontempelli in doubt for the clash against Sydney at Marvel Stadium.
Bontempelli (knee) is among several ailing stars who will be given "until the death" to prove their fitness for the Thursday night game.
While Ed Richards (ankle) and Aaron Naughton (hand) continue to carry lingering soreness, the Bulldogs' depth is being tested further by Rory Lobb (hamstring), who remains a test to face the Swans after training away from the main group on Tuesday.
"Ultimately, they'll play if there's no risk that they'll injure what they're sore with, But if there's any concern that they'll be impeded or that discomfort might turn into an injury, then they won't play. We won't take any risks," Beveridge said.
MEDICAL ROOM Check out the full injury list
The injury cloud follows the definitive loss of Liberatore, gun forward Sam Darcy (knee) and defender James O'Donnell (hamstring), who have been ruled out. They join Tim English (knee) on the sidelines, with Beveridge confirming the ruckman is still working through his rehabilitation.
As for Darcy, he has delayed surgery on his ruptured ACL by a day or two to allow the swelling to settle.
In some positive news, veteran midfielder Adam Treloar is set to be called up for his first AFL game of the season, provided he successfully clears training this week, while Cody Weightman (knee) is back "up and going" and he completed a significant portion of Tuesday's session.