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 General Manager of List and Recruiting 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.

"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.

"We’re in constant communications with his manager and everyone's really comfortable with where it's at."

Bulldogs’ vice-captain Marcus 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, according to Power.

"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,” he said.

"But in saying that it's all been really positive and all the indications from both parties have been really good.”