Tom Liberatore is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. But after a stunning return to football the Western Bulldogs will move to secure him on a longer-term deal.

It was a quirk of timing with his injury and contract status that Liberatore was out of contract at the end of last season and so signed to a one-year deal after his second knee reconstruction.

The Bulldogs were not sure how he would come back after his second knee reconstruction. Liberatore was not sure either. So they agreed that he would sign just a short-term deal on relatively modest money.

After two games Liberatore might have six Brownlow votes. If he has not been the best player on the ground in those games he has plainly been the most important Bulldog on the ground.