Bulldogs legend Tony Liberatore, age 56, just played a grand final 20 years after his last AFL game

Twenty years since he last graced an AFL field, Tony Liberatore is still chasing footy glory. At 56, he moves and plays the game with the same trademark tenacity and, apart from the shaved head, he does a more than passable impression of his former self.

Instead of the MCG, the venue this Sunday morning is Livingstone Reserve in Cranbourne at the unglamorous time of 10.30am. Liberatore is player-coach for the Northside Lions and among a hardy band of players competing in the inaugural year of full competition and finals for over 50s in the AFL Masters Vic Metro competition.

Northside Lions take the field against the unbeaten Box Hill North in the grand final. And, just like he did across 283 AFL games, Liberatore will soon be found at the bottom of every pack.

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GPS stats are not available out on the suburban fields of Cranbourne but even a casual observer on Sunday would pick up on the incredible amount of ground he covered. With a breeze swirling like so many of those days back at the Western Oval, Libba is everywhere, controlling the game like a maestro.

At quarter time the Lions lead by four points after the aid of the breeze.

Liberatore urges his charges on with the principles that he built a career on. Box Hill North have dominated the season but he senses an upset could be possible.

“Let’s make it a dogfight! One-on-one!” he shouts.

“They’re not used to that. They’ve beaten every side by 10 goals. We’re the only side that’s got close to them because we play one-on-one footy!”

Box Hill North are on top in the second quarter but the Lions are defending grimly. A Box Hill North forward charges inside 50, but he doesn’t bank on the little man who revolutionised tackling in footy stopping him dead.

Another attack is repelled.

Minutes later, Liberatore is at the other end of the ground driving the ball to the teeth of goal where another Lion roves for a goal against the run of play.

Libba’s Lions hold a three-point lead at half time, but an arm wrestle ensues in a scoreless third quarter. There are concerns the slender lead may not be enough kicking into the breeze in the final term.

Liberatore makes one final plea to his charges, with a sprinkling of expletives for effect.

“We have an opportunity to create history!” he yells. “We’ve been in front all day, because we’ve been harder at the ball and wanted it more. We win or lose, busting our guts. Do not let this opportunity go!”

If a pack of 50-somethings could run through brick walls, they would right now.

Alas, there’s a reason Box Hill North has led the competition all season. With the breeze at their back, they are a running machine and eventually the game opens up as the Lions tire.

Four goals overhaul Liberatore’s charges in the final term but, with the game gone in the final minute, the little master is still bursting out of the middle like the Energizer bunny in an effort to create an elusive goal.

He never gives in.

The siren sounds and Box Hill North are Premiers.

For the Lions this isn’t a kick and giggle competition.

They’re devastated.

Nobody more so than Liberatore.

“It’s a grand final, so it’s gotta sting a bit because we were right in it. We just ran out of legs,” he tells CODE Sports.

As the Box Hill North coach steps up to accept the cup he pays tribute to the runners-up and their coach, acknowledging that the game could have gone either way in the final quarter.

There is some consolation when the first ever over 50s league best and fairest is announced at the presentation ceremony. It’s Libba.

And with that award he now boasts the unique quadruple of Morrish (under 19s), Gardiner (reserves) and Brownlow (senior) medals, along with his “over 50s Brownlow” to add to a packed trophy cabinet.

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Thirty-two years after winning a Brownlow Medal, Liberatore could be putting his feet up and limiting his football activity to watching son Tom star for the Bulldogs. But that wasn’t his style. Since retiring from the AFL at 36, Liberatore has never stopped playing in various community and superules competitions.

“It’s still a buzz playing,” Liberatore says. “It’s a joy to play with mates and the emotion you get when playing with guys who say you’ve helped me, not only as a footballer, but as a person by training and coaching them.”

His old Bulldogs teammates shake their heads and wonder how he’s still going. “They say, ‘You’re mad for playing, you’ll get injured!’ But I just love playing,” he continues. “I love to compete.”

And what does Tom make of it all?

“He thinks I’m a bit silly.”

It’s not lost on Lions captain Joe Basilone that Liberatore could walk into any high level suburban coaching job, but has chosen this group.

“For him to pull the guernsey on and do what he does is fantastic. He’s our X-factor and we’ve learned so much from him,” Basilone says.

“He doesn’t have to be doing this. He could coach anywhere.”

The Lions team is a mix of has-beens, could-a-beens and perhaps a few never-weres. Many members of the team have been involved with the Superules club for more than 20 years, but teammate Michael Karamitos says Liberatore is a class above.

“Once Libba crosses the white line he morphs into a different person. He’s ferocious and he doesn’t stop running all day,” Karamitos tells CODE Sports. “He’s a standout. Libba coming to the club has galvanised this team, we’ve ridden on his back and gone with him.”

The competitive spirit that defied rejection and knock-backs in Liberatore’s early years to forge a wonderful career still remains.

“He gives us a rev-up and we play for him,” Karamitos says.

Liberatore still looks freakishly fit for a 56-year-old. He mustn‘t be a kilogram over his AFL playing weight. The guy is ripped.

He may be genetically blessed but he also works at it.

“I run a couple of times a week, I surf a lot and then I go to footy training with these guys,” he says.

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Back in the changerooms, Liberatore almost chokes up as he addresses the players, thanks the support staff and ices an ankle.

Box Hill North’s coach offers commiserations, players come up and thank him and the trainers get a selfie to commemorate their season with a legend.

Will he be back playing next year to go one better?

“I’ll keep playing ’til I drop,” he says.