Western Bulldogs midfielder Adam Treloar has been withdrawn from Footscray's VFL side to face Essendon on Sunday afternoon.
The Dogs attributed the late change to general soreness, a concern given Treloar's extensive soft tissue injury which has many believing he is in his last season at the level.
It's frustrating timing for the veteran 33-year-old given there is a league-wide VFL bye next weekend due to a state game being played at Gather Round.
Treloar had an interrupted pre-season due to a calf complaint after managing a similar injury last year, while he has also been plagued by hamstring injuries throughout his career.
The 258-gamer was made to wait until September before being given a one-year contract extension despite a 2024 All Australian blazer. He also won the Western Bulldogs best and fairest in 2022.
He played a key role in Footscray's VFL premiership last year.
He played just four games last year at AFL level and has not yet featured in 2026.
Given the Dogs' wealth of on-ball options, including Marcus Bontempelli, Joel Freijah, Ed Richards, Tom Liberatore and Ryley Sanders, finding a spot for him in the first choice lineup will be tricky given he has spent most of his career as a pure midfielder.
Treloar has played 85 of his 258 games for the Dogs since arriving ahead of the 2021 season.
