Western Bulldogs star on verge of remarkable return
Coming off a career-best season in 2024 when he was named All-Australian for the first time, Treloar has been restricted to a career-low of just four games this year.
The 32-year-old again trained strongly at the Whitten Oval on Wednesday, following a match simulation session last weekend.
The Bulldogs will be extra careful with Treloar given his wretched run with soft-tissues this year.
But the star midfielder is being strongly considered to play for Footscray in the VFL on Sunday when they host Carlton.
"He's had a couple of good weeks, almost surprising weeks," Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said of Treloar, who is a "chance" this week.
"Encouraging stuff, to the point where now we can consider him for some state league minutes.
"My philosophy around playing players who are under prepared is they can't compromise the team at any level.
"But we believe that he won't, because he's done the necessary preparations.
"We just need to firm it up, it's still early in the week and we've got another session on Friday."
The Bulldogs need to win both of their remaining games against West Coast and Fremantle to be guaranteed of playing finals.
Even if they only win one and finish the season on 14 wins, it will likely not be enough to qualify.
If that happened the Bulldogs would have a strong case to be one of the most unlucky teams of all-time given 12 or 13 wins is usually enough to make finals, and no team has ever missed out with 14.
Even if the Bulldogs and their VFL team make strong runs into the finals, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is increasingly unlikely to make an appearance at any level.
The troubled forward has been back at training, at times, following an extended break.
Bulldogs assistant coach Brendon Lade believed Ugle-Hagan had "put himself back a couple more weeks".
"The way the VFL is playing at the moment he might be lucky to get a game," Lade told 3AW on Sunday.
Beveridge called Lade's comments "tongue-in-cheek".
"I think it was more about how well Footscray are going, rather than Jamarra's preparation," Beveridge said.
"Ladey' will live and learn.
"That's the thing about taking lines like that in different contexts, it can come back to bite you.
"So he's learned an early lesson, if he's hopefully part of that market for a senior coaching job."
Beveridge was also bullish on the senior coach prospects of another assistant at the club.
Former Eagles coach Adam Simpson said last week Bulldogs assistant Daniel Pratt was more than ready to be a senior coach.
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