Two Western Bulldogs veterans believe Tom Liberatore already is a better player than his father Tony, the 1990 Brownlow medallist.
Daniel Giansiracusa opened the father-son debate publicly on Sunday after Tom Liberatore’s game-breaking performance in the club’s third win of the season against Melbourne on Saturday night.
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PICTURE GALLERY: Tony and Tom Liberatore
The clearance machine who will turn 22 on Friday propelled his team with one of the best games of his career, notching 27 disposals, two goals, eight takeaways and 15 tackles in a gruelling encounter that included a record 129 stoppages and a club-record 108 tackles.
Asked to draw three conclusions from the Dogs’ 16-point win at the MCG, Giansiracusa left his biggest call for last when he stated on Channel Seven that he believed “Tom Liberatore is better than his dad”.
Another club veteran, Robert Murphy, agreed with Giansiracusa’s assessment on a talking point rarely raised among Bulldog supporters.
Asked his opinion on who would be the better player with Tom and Tony at the peak of their powers, Murphy initially cautioned, “You don’t want upset Tony Liberatore”, before responding, “Tom, easily.”
Tony Liberatore, given away by North Melbourne before he played a senior game, was one of the shortest players to win the Brownlow Medal, at 163 centimetres, and averaged 26 disposals in 19 games in a season the Dogs finished 10th.
He won his only club best and fairest the next year.
A member of the Dogs’ Team of the Century, Liberatore played 283 games and was a long-time holder of the record for most career tackles.
Tom Liberatore, 183 centimetres and 63 games into his emerging career, already is recognised as one of the league’s best clearance and tackling players.
He finished second in the Dogs’ best and fairest last year, just his third season – and won the Tony Liberatore Most Improved Player award.
He is on his way to further club glory this season, averaging 22 disposals and leading the team for tackles and clearances.
Bulldogs defender Dale Morris said on Sunday the wider football world was starting to see why the club rated the young Liberatore so highly.
“He does some fantastic work inside [the contest]. I don’t know how he does it a lot of the time. Just his willingness to get to the contest, make it a scrap and get his hands on it and get dirty – it’s a lot like his old man,” Morris said on SEN.
