Tom Liberatore is a much-loved figure amongst his teammates.
And it’s been a big off-season for the 27-year-old, as he’s not only worked hard to overcome a knee injury, but also welcomed son Oscar into the world with his partner Malia.
Liberatore joins a host of new Bulldog Dads, including fellow 2010 draftee Jason Johannisen, with fellow Footscray father-son Mitch Wallis expecting this year also.
“He’s settled in well, he’s sleeping pretty well,” Liberatore told Bulldogs Media.
“It’s all going pretty smoothly.
“Jase had Lola at the end of last year and Mitch is due in May, so it will be cool to have a few play-dates maybe and muck around a little bit.”
What kind of Dad will Liberatore be? Skipper Marcus Bontempelli believes he’ll do it his own way.
"An eccentric one I can imagine,” Bontempelli said.
“He is who he is, Libba, and we love his personality and what he brings to the football club. The little one will probably have an eccentric twist as well I’m sure."
He definitely broke the news to his teammates in his own way – with a Dad joke.
"He sent a group text and in Libba fashion and made a joke and said he named him Tennys like Tennys Sandgren from Tennesee," teammate Pat Lipinski told AFL Media.
