Following the official completion of their 2025 season on Wednesday, a host of significant Western Bulldogs were sent in for off-season surgery.
Images showed Ed Richards, Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton all in hospital with their shoulders and arms in slings.
The trio went in for surgery on Friday in anticipation of the club's pre-season that will begin toward the end of November.
Post surgery catchups 😅 🐶
via elle.neofytou (ig) pic.twitter.com/yCcGdWy3ba
— Cench (@cenchfooty) August 29, 2025
Richards was rewarded with a maiden All-Australian blazer on Thursday night, alongside teammates Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Dale.
Darcy was included in the 44-man squad despite missing a host of games with a knee injury throughout the year, but was leapfrogged by Coleman medallist Jeremy Cameron and Adelaide brute Riley Thilthorpe.
Naughton's omission from the squad raised eyebrows despite kicking a career-best 60 goals.
Bailey Dale played through the entire last quarter of Sunday's game with a badly broken wrist. Had surgery on Tuesday and would have missed the entire finals series, had the Dogs qualified. Still had eight disposals in a huge final term. @AFLcomau https://t.co/jEReCJsHv0
— Riley Beveridge (@RileyBev) August 27, 2025
It is also understood that Dale underwent surgery after playing through the Round 24 clash against Fremantle with a broken wrist.
The Bulldogs finished 2025 outside the top eight despite recording 14 wins and the third-best percentage in the competition.
Luke Beveridge's men failed to overcome the Round 24 do-or-die clash against Fremantle, and relied on Gold Coast losing to Essendon on Wednesday.
