REFRESHED DOG STRAINS LEASH

WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore is fighting fit for his return from a knee reconstruction and is mentally refreshed after a year out of the game.

Liberatore tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Round 1 and was forced to watch on as the Bulldogs failed to play finals for a second successive year.

After rejecting overtures from rival clubs as a free agent, the premiership midfielder has signed with the club and is ready to hit the ground running.

He is now back “100 per cent” fit and training fully after receiving medical clearance last week.

The Bulldogs are training in Torquay this week before taking a break over the Christmas period and returning next month to ramp up preparations for pre-season games and Round 1.

“I did the first bit of match simulation last Thursday. We did about 30 minutes of match practice and it (my knee) held up well,” Liberatore said.

“I am still a bit slow and getting used to the pace but fitness-wise it was all right.”

He used his time out of the game to not only refresh his body and rehab his knee but to also take a mental break from the game.

He took time away from the club mid-season before flying to Europe over the off-season.

“It helped the mental side of recovery for me and I guess I’m fortunate to be at a good club that has had plenty of experience with ACLs in recent times,” Liberatore told the AFL Players’ Association website.

“They know how to handle it, and that mid-year break was also a big factor in how I got through the recovery period.

“It wasn’t as bad as my first knee because I knew what I was in for, but it was good to get away because then you have four weeks away, then you get closer and closer to progressing with the rehab and then I didn’t have to wait too long to start running again.”

Liberatore also took the opportunity to spend time alone with his thoughts, working on personal development and study, including writing poetry.