Fresh from signing a new contract extension to remain at VU Whitten Oval, Tom Liberatore admits he feels like a kid again.
The 26-year old sat out almost the entire 2018 season with an ACL injury, after cruelly going down in the opening minutes of the first round.
Now, in the final stages of his rehabilitation, Liberatore is ready to attack the next phase of his career.
“I’m very determined, very optimistic,” he said.
“I feel like I’m playing juniors again. I’ve got that sort of itch I had when I was 16,17.
“After having another year out on the sideline, I feel very determined, and excited to have fun again playing footy.”
Liberatore said while the early rehabilitation stages were frustrating, he felt better prepared to tackle it the second time round.
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“It was pretty painful initially – all that work done throughout the pre-season and having such an optimistic build-up collectively,” he said.
“Having done a previous one (in 2015), the positive side of it took over after a couple of weeks.
“Once I got into that routine, it got a little bit more comfortable as it went on.”
Despite being absent on the field, Liberatore found satisfaction in each rehabilitation milestone and set his mind to developing himself outside of the club.
“I developed myself off the field in terms of uni and work opportunities,” he said.
“I still attended all the games and all the meetings. I was in and around the Club the same amount of hours, the same amount of days’ work, but just different training.
“I was always involved with what was going on.”
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The strong relationships he has with his teammates, as well as the Bulldogs’ coaching and support staff, were big factors in Liberatore’s desire to remain at the Kennel.
“It’s a source of family,” Liberatore said.
“The community feel, the family relationships – it’s sort of like a big parent.
“I’ve had that reliability, it’s always been part of my life since I was a young kid.
“The support has been there the whole time – the rehab staff, the physios and my teammates have been there the whole time.”
