WESTERN Bulldogs forward Liam Picken will be sidelined indefinitely after copping another concussion in the JLT Community Series.
The club said in a statement on Monday it would take a conservative approach with the 31-year-old following the heavy knock he took in a collision with teammate Josh Dunkley during the match against Hawthorn in Ballarat on March 3.
Picken lay prone before being stretchered from the field and has been doing short days at the club as part of his rehabilitation.
It's the second concussion the courageous veteran has had in the past 12 months after a nasty head knock against Fremantle in round three last year.
Dogs captain Easton Wood, who sits on the AFLPA board, said last week he was pleased with how Picken had been treated by club doctors since the incident.
"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 Captains Day on Thursday.
"He's had a couple of bad ones already, (and) I'm not sure where he's currently at, at the moment.
"What I'm enjoying with the way concussion is (treated) now is that the cautious approach is the best approach.
"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 just be at home, recover and get himself right."
Concussions run in the family, with first cousin Jonathan Brown forced into retirement after the Brisbane great sustained several heavy knocks during his remarkable career.
Picken's unavailability is another big blow to the Bulldogs ahead of their opening round clash with Greater Western Sydney in Canberra, with important defenders Dale Morris (knee) and Marcus Adams (ankle) both expected to be sidelined until mid-season.