Marcus Bontempelli - and the Western Bulldogs - facing great expectations

Link

http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam...8784123419.jpg

Western Bulldog player Bulldog on the rise: Marcus Bontempelli with students Lauren McCormack, Claudia Savic and Quincy Davis. Photo: Eddie Jim

Like the Western Bulldogs, Marcus Bontempelli has come a long way in a short period of time.
Already this year the midfielder has snuck into the AFL Players Association list of the best 50 in the league and, perhaps more unexpectedly, was elected into the club's leadership group (along with new vice-captain Easton Wood who joins Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris), by far the youngest player to join their ranks.

And like his club, Bontempelli is facing increasingly greater expectations from the football public – at just 20, he is already being touted as a future Bulldogs captain.
In person, Bontempelli gives the strong impression of someone intent on doing the right thing.

He is quietly spoken and takes a seat in the Whitten Oval cafe mostly unnoticed.
Bontempelli said he had not set his sights on a leadership role before the announcement was made.
He entered the game wanting to be the type of player his coaches and teammates could trust, someone who was always keen to help out.
"For some reason or other that's hit home with a few players particularly," he said. "It's put me in a really lucky position to take up a spot in the leadership group and hopefully set a really good example from here on."

It may not have been a role he sought, but good leadership is something to which Bontempelli has given some thought.
In captain Bob Murphy, a player the younger man describes as a free spirit who is much loved by teammates and supporters, Bontempelli said he had an opportunity to learn from the best.

Showing humility and being genuine in your dealings with people are both important traits in a leader, he said.
As the baby of the group of five, Bontempelli hopes to help reach the youngest players at the club.
"A leader needs to really be prepared to up your awareness to support others, not just on the field but in all aspects," he said.
"That's why Bob Murphy's our skipper, because he's the best relationships person at this club and that has a lot to do with how players are willing to follow in behind you, once they feel that they've got their best interests at heart, and not just their footy interests."
The Dogs had a breakout year in 2015, with a new captain in Murphy and Luke Beveridge joining the club as coach.

The ethos, Bontempelli said, was that no one had the right to tell the Western Bulldogs what they could or could not achieve.
The atmosphere around the club was a little different in this pre-season to last, he said, but the players and coaching staff hoped to maintain their enthusiastic, no-holds-barred approach to football.
"[In 2015] We were so nervous and excited about the season, and when it came around it really just came to fruition," he said.
"We just played with this weight off our shoulders and I think that we've continued to harness that approach in this pre-season, while it's been quite a bit more measured and tempered."

He said Bulldogs fans understood where the team was at and were among the most loyal in the league.
He described them as a proud sort of people, and very happy to be Bulldogs supporters.
"Although they've been waiting quite a long time since Footscray's last premiership, you can tell they've got this sense that they're supporting no matter what," he said.

"That's a great thing to have at a footy club, that despite the win-loss ratio, you feel their consistent love all across the board."
"I hope they're starting to get a bit of joy out of how we're going and that we can provide a lot more into the future."

Bontempelli said captaining a football team was a difficult job, one he might one day like to tackle if he got the chance, but there were lots of promising young leaders at the club who could also take the mantle.
In the meantime, he wanted to expand his horizons – a coffee lover, he was considering taking a barista course.

He is also considering learning another language and already regrets not studying harder at school to become bilingual.
He is also taking on the role of ambassador for the Bulldogs's youth leadership program The Whitten Project, which will run workshops for young people from the western suburbs.

Bontempelli said he loved speaking to other players at the club about what they did outside football and cites teammate Will Minson, who plays saxophone, speaks German and studies civil engineering, as one of the most interesting.
"He's really different, I really like him and I think he's well liked among the group as well for those exact reasons. He's not the norm," he said.

Bugger. I thought he'd signed another contract extension,

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Twodogs

Bugger. I thought he'd signed another contract extension,

---

Love Bonti. The way he talks in that interview he will be at the club a long time.

Love The Bont. When is he contracted to please?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1eyedog

Love The Bont. When is he contracted to please?

---

End of next year I think.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1eyedog

Love The Bont. When is he contracted to please?

---

End of 2019. He has 4 years left

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by greystache

end of 2019. He has 4 years left

---

great :)

Love the Bont