TOUGH midfielder Liam Picken is no certainty for the Western Bulldogs' opening round clash with Greater Western Sydney as he recovers from concussion, says captain Easton Wood.
The 31-year-old received the heavy knock in a collision with teammate Josh Dunkley during the JLT Community Series match against Hawthorn in Ballarat on March 3, and lay prone until stretchered from the field by trainers.
The veteran played no further part in the match and wasn't selected for the following week's JLT game against Collingwood.
It's the second concussion the courageous veteran has received in the past 12 months after a nasty head knock against Fremantle in round three last year.
"It was pretty scary with like any concussion, and I was right next to Liam when it happened on the ground," Wood said at the AFL's Captains Day on Thursday.
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"He's had a couple of bad ones already, (and) I'm not sure where he's currently at, at the moment.
He's been (into the club) every day in the initial stage of the recovery, (but) he's had really short days.
"I think he's doing OK and should be back all right, but whether that's playing round one, I'm not sure yet."
Wood, who sits on the AFLPA board, said he was impressed with the way the club had treated Picken's recovery.
"What I'm enjoying with the way concussion is (treated) now is that the cautious approach is the best approach," he said.
"It was a very quick call that he wouldn't play in that JLT game (against Collingwood), so he had limited stuff to do that week and (he needed to) just be at home, recover and get himself right."
