‘Had to turn my phone off’: Dogs star shares ‘emotional’ toll of latest setback in heartfelt reveal

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Western Bulldogs star Adam Treloar has revealed the significant toll of his latest calf setback, revealing it’s the “most emotional” he’s been following an injury.

The All-Australian midfielder went down last Sunday after again aggravating his calf; confirming on ‘The Ads and Dunks Podcast’ he’s set to miss six-to-eight weeks of footy.

Treloar has played four games this year, with his fresh setback set to limit him to the fewest games in a season in his career. His next-least was 10 in 2020 with the Magpies.

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The 258-gamer is out of contract at the end of this season, with Dogs senior coach Luke Beveridge telling reporters on Wednesday the ball-getter’s future wouldn’t be decided until closer to the end of the year.

“We’ll worry about that later on. His future beyond this year is something that’ll take care of itself in deliberations as we get towards the end of the year,” Beveridge said.

“I always hope so with a player as influential as Adam, but I haven’t actually sat down and spoken to him about the emotional toll his injuries have had on him this year.”

But Treloar explained to his co-host, Brisbane gun Josh Dunkley, that he’s never felt this way after a medical setback.

“The most emotional I’ve been, post an injury. It is a significant injury, I am out for quite a bit — six-to-eight weeks, and that’s obviously all things going well,” he said.

“Which is basically the (rest of the) regular season. I’ve worked so very hard all year to get on top of my calves, and everyone knows it’s my calves.

“I walk down the street and that’s what people yell out to me — ‘how are your calves? How are they feeling?’”

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Treloar revealed he had to completely switch off to clear his head, also sharing his devotion to footy and the “saving grace” it provided him in his life.

“I had to turn off my phone and just gather my thoughts, basically. I have lived and breathed football my whole life — for my whole life,” he continued.

“It’s all that I’ve ever known, and it’s always been something I can always go back to when things get hard.

“I talk about my saving grace being my under-17s (season). Footy has always been my saving grace.”

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The 32-year-old earned his first All-Australian jacket last year and was a Bulldogs club champion in 2022 after formerly playing for GWS and Collingwood.

“It (footy) got me out of a life of poverty growing up; it’s given me an opportunity to set up my family, meet great people, have experiences in my life that I certainly don’t think I ever would have had,” Treloar said in a heartfelt proclamation.

“That’s all thanks to footy. So, to still be as passionate as I am and to still love the game like I do and want to be out there and play with my teammates and have success with them.

“To not be able to do that because of reasons you don’t know why, and I don’t know why, because I do everything right — as you (Dunkley) know; you know me better than anybody — that I do everything possible for my body. That is where it really hurts me.

“They’re kind of my initial thoughts at the moment with everything. It’s just been a really challenging couple of days.”

The Dogs have nine weeks left in their regular season before a likely finals campaign; for which Beveridge would have an almightily tough selection call to make if Treloar were available.

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