Bulldogs to check Liberatore as Dogs' struggles deepen

The Western Bulldogs will assess the health of star midfielder Tom Liberatore on Monday after his AFL return ended dramatically following an apparent boot to the forehead.

Liberatore could also be in match review trouble, adding to the Bulldogs’ woes in the wake of Sunday’s upset seven-point loss to Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium.

It leaves the Bulldogs in major trouble at 3-5 and ramps up the pressure on coach Luke Beveridge, who is enduring a bad few days.

Last week, Essendon ruckman Sam Draper said several Bulldogs players would leave at the end of the season if Beveridge remained coach.

That earned Draper a sharp public rebuke from his coach Brad Scott, while Beveridge called the comments bizarre.

Nevertheless, Beveridge is well aware the Bulldogs are now firmly in the media spotlight following the Hawthorn loss.

Hawthorn extended the Bulldogs’ woes with a tense seven-point win. (Morgan Hancock/AAP PHOTOS)

Another immediate concern is Liberatore.

This was his first game back after he dramatically collapsed late in the round-six loss to Essendon.

Liberatore was cleared of concussion, but was put through a battery of medical tests.

He was supposed to return last week, but had to pull out due to illness.

Finally back on the field on Sunday, Liberatore suffered a cut to his head, apparently because of a stray boot from Hawthorn’s Conor Nash, in the last quarter. He had also collided heavily with an opponent earlier in the game.

He needed to be helped from the field in the frenetic last few minutes.

Beveridge was unsure post-match what had happened.

“I actually saw him stumble in the middle of the ground and that’s concerning,” Beveridge said.

Beveridge added the Bulldogs would be conservative with Liberatore, with all decisions over his immediate future left to medicos.

The 31-year-old could also be in match review trouble for a third-quarter tackle on Will Day.

A free kick was paid to Day, whose head hit the ground in the tackle.

In the wake of Sunday’s loss, marked by several glaring Bulldogs turnovers in defence, Beveridge knows the heat is coming.

“We know that unless you’re winning games of footy, you’re always vulnerable to media scrutiny, so we just expect it,” the Bulldogs’ 2016 premiership coach said.

“As I’ve said before, I have a thick skin and can deal with it, but I won’t let it affect how I care for and manage the playing group.

“Any external scrutiny, we just have to deal with.”

Beveridge has made a succession of major selection calls this season, with Bailey Dale and Rory Lobb again dropped for Sunday’s match.