When the 2016 premiership flag is unfurled at Etihad Stadium on Friday, 31 March, some iconic Bulldogs will be on hand to mark the occasion.
Today’s ICON profile: Tony Liberatore
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Few people at the Western Bulldogs epitomise the spirit of the Club more than Tony Liberatore.
Coming to the Kennel from North Melbourne in 1986 after failing to break into the Kangaroos' senior side, Liberatore had won a Morrish Medal with North as best and fairest in the league's under-19 competition in 1984.
Liberatore played the first half of the 1986 season in Footscray's reserves side and impressed in every match, forcing his way into the senior team to make his debut in round 13. He played four senior matches with the Bulldogs in that season, biding his time in the reserves in the other games.
The umpires certainly took note of his midfield abilities there, and he added a Gardiner Medal - awarded to the best and fairest player in the VFL reserves competition - to his trophy cabinet at the end of that year.
1987 saw him become a semi-regular in the senior side, playing 12 matches, but he was back out of favour the following year, with just one senior appearance. Undeterred, 'Libba' put his head down and continued to play outstanding football in the reserves, winning another Gardiner Medal in 1988.
Opportunities were limited again in 1989, Liberatore played just one senior game. In 1990, however, under new coach Terry Wheeler, Liberatore was given a chance to establish himself at the top level, included in the side from Round One.
He grabbed that chance with his vice-like hands and never looked back.
That season saw him play the first 19 matches and he was prolific, averaging 26 touches. A serious knee injury saw him miss the final three matches but such was his impact prior to the injury that he stunned the football world by winning the game's highest honour, the Brownlow Medal.
Having established himself as an elite, if unfashionable, player, Liberatore went from strength to strength over a further 12 seasons, strength being the operative word as Liberatore used his considerable muscle power to lay more tackles than anyone else in the league, season after season.
As the game changed, Liberatore reinvented himself as a tagger, adding 'niggle' to his array of talents as he continued to rack up possessions as a key member of the Bulldogs side through the '90s and into the 2000s.
Liberatore's magnificent 283-game, 95-goal career came to a close late in 2002, but the Bulldogs remain in his heart to this day, a fact captured by the emotional scenes in the stands after the Bulldogs' preliminary final win against GWS last year.
With son Tom a Sutton Medallist, the Liberatore name lives on at the old Western Oval.
The Western Bulldogs will unfurl their 2016 AFL Premiership flag at their first home game on Friday 31 March at Etihad Stadium when they play the Sydney Swans. Make sure you’re there in your seat for the flag unfurl ceremony, which is scheduled to commence promptly at 7:15pm. Click here to purchase you tickets now via Ticketmaster, to ensure you’re part of this historic occasion.
