The Western Bulldogs have not put a timeline on Lachie Hunter’s return from personal leave but coach Luke Beveridge is confident the AFL hasn’t seen the last of the premiership player.
On Tuesday, the Bulldogs announced Hunter would take indefinite leave from the club to “work through some individual challenges, which have affected his health and wellbeing”.
Beveridge said he personally did not think the former Bulldogs vice-captain would be lost to the game.
“I don’t have that concern; I believe that Lachie’s going to be okay and I believe we’ll have him back before the end of the year,” said Beveridge.
“It’s a little bit open-ended.”
Hunter played in all of the Bulldogs’ first give games of the season and previously missed four games of the 2020 season through personal leave.
Beveridge said he had faith in Hunter’s ability to get back on top of his situation.
“He knows that in the immediate future, he’s got to work through a few things,” said Beveridge.
“Hopefully, whether it’s in a month or two months or whatever it may be, we have him back and he’s able to play some footy before the end of the year.
“I believe he’s going to be okay.”
Beveridge applauded Hunter’s teammates for supporting him and said the club would continue to do the same.
“The players are really sensitive to what’s happening in each others’ lives and they’ll do nothing else but do what they can to help him,” he said.
“It’ll be a combination of giving him space and making sure the dialogue is there and that he feels supported, primarily through our resources, the resources that we do have.”
Hunter is in consultation with the club’s psychologist and doctor but Beveridge admitted cuts to the soft cap had limited the amount of support that could be provided.
“I suppose it’s an example of where the constraints around footy budgets doesn’t help the club do enough in that space. Whether or not there’s some externals that can help … we’re working through that with our psych and our doctor,” he said.
“(Budget cuts) are a peripheral thing to Lachie’s situation.”
Beveridge said he had yet to determine who would replace Hunter on the wing for this Saturday’s clash with Adelaide in Ballarat.
“It’s a little bit uncertain,” he said.
“With Lachie going out, there are a number of lads who’ve been playing and training in that area, so it’ll definitely crexjmtzywate opportunity. Lachie McNeil has been playing a bit of wing forward, so he’s an obvious candidate.”
Arthur Jones and Charlie Parker could earn their AFL debuts replacing Hunter, while Louis Butler is another option.
Beveridge said he would favour experience in determining who would come into the side, however.
