MELBOURNE, Australia — Western Bulldogs veteran Tom Liberatore has announced his retirement from AFL football after 268 games with the club, bringing an end to a 16-year career defined by hard-nosed midfield play, a premiership medal and a deep, generational connection to the western Melbourne suburbs the club calls home.

Liberatore, 34, informed his teammates of the decision following the Bulldogs' elimination-final loss to Adelaide on Saturday night, a match that marked his final appearance for the club. His 2026 season had been severely limited to just 11 senior games, as a string of concussions and knee injuries continued to take a physical toll on the veteran midfielder.

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A father-son recruit selected with pick 40 in the 2010 national draft, Liberatore followed in the footsteps of his father, Tony Liberatore, a Bulldogs great in his own right who played 283 games for the club. Tom went on to become one of only 15 players in Bulldogs history to reach 250 games, and last year was named among the 25 Greatest Bulldogs to ever wear the club's red, white and blue.

"This Club and its community have been such a huge part of my life," Liberatore said in a statement. "I'm so fortunate to have lived out my dream for 16 years, from watching my old man play for the club to being part of a premiership that meant so much to all of our fans and to the western suburbs, it's been a real privilege."

Liberatore reflected on his decision to step away from playing........

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