Bulldog Team of the Century 2000-2100: Nominations Open:

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Originally Posted by 1eyedog

Bont for captain! Controversial?

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I opened up a post with poll two weeks back. The results were Bob & Turtle. Maybe next year?

Won't be long.

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Originally Posted by 1eyedog

Won't be long.

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A bit surprised he didn’t get the VC at a minimum. But with at least 4.5 years, I think he will have it until the end of the century.

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

#4 Marcus Bontempelli, Age 25, 168* Games, 152* Goals, 9* Finals, 2014-Current, Contracted to 2025, Midfielder, 193cm, 93kg, from Northern Knights (Vic).

Nominated for: Centre
Alternatives (in order of preference): Ruck-Rover, Rover, Wing

Achievements/Awards:

Young Bontempelli

Rising Star Nomination: 2014
Runner Up Rising Star (robbed of it by 1 vote, see below): 2014
AFLPA Best First Year Player (by the biggest ever margin): 2014
Chris Grant Best First Year Player: 2014
AFLCA Best Young Player: 2015
Youngest ever captain to captain a side to a victory in AFL/VFL history (20 years, 194 days): 2017
Included in each of his five eligible years to the best under 22 side: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018. Captain in 2016, 2017 & 2018.


Middle Career Bontempelli

All Australian: 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021
All Australian Squad: 2017
AFLCA Champion Player: 2019
Herald Sun Player on the Year: 2019
State of Origin: 2020
AFLCA Champion Player Runner Up: 2021
AFLPA MVP & Best Captain: 2021 (Only Chris Judd & Michael Voss have done this)
Runner Up Brownlow: 2021 (33 Votes, enough to have won in any other year, but 3)

Charles Suttton Medal (B&F): 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2021
Doug Hawkins Medal (2nd in B&F): 2020
Gary Dempsey Medal (3rd in B&F): 2015 & 2018
Top 3 from 2015 to 2020 (6 Seasons)
John van Groningen Domestique Award: 2019 & 2021
Scott West Most Courageous: 2020

Best & Fairest (back to back, and youngest to ever do it at the club): 2017
57 Career Brownlow votes (while still on his P Plates): 2017

Premiership Player: 2016
Best & Fairest, and in a Premiership Year: 2016 (equaling Ted Whitten at the club, the youngest in the VFL/AFL to achieve this since Leigh Matthews in 1971)
Best & Fairest, Grand Final Year 2021 (both Grand Final seasons he’s played in)

Vice Captain: 2018, 2019
Club Captain: 2020, 2021, ongoing
Grand Final Club Captain: 2021 (25 Disposals, 3 Goals)


Drafted at pick 4, Marcus made an impact from the get go. A tall midfielder, equally as dangerous as a KPF. A rising star after a handful of games, and one of the best goals we've ever seen deep in the forward pocket against Melbourne made everyone take notice of him. His achievements say much more than I can add to his narrative. So I'll focus on the moments he helped to deliver us a premiership by doing things that past players have not done in knock out finals.

So, against the reigning premiers Hawthorn on the big stage of the MCG in front of 90,000 fans he lined up on the Hawthorn captain, Luke Hodge, and in two key plays made an amazing intercept of a Hodge handball and got the ball back to hit up Tory Dickson deep inside 50. The other play on Hodge was a great contested mark where he with casual disdain swept Hodge out of the way for a crucial inside 50 mark. Commentators would posit that Bonts took the baton off Hidge that night. And a great win.

Then, for those old enough to remember 1997 prelim final, where Mark West was running into goal with space for an easy shot that missed, we have imprinted moments where we choked. Enter a great play in the 2016 prelim final vs GWS, at GWS, Bonts gets the kick near him running towards goal late in the last quarter. He at pace, but with caution, collects to ball runs at goals, runs passed 50 like Mark West in 1997, but instead kicked it right through the middle. Having come back from 3 goals down, his finishing vanquished the demons for a lot of us who have never experienced winning a prelim final.

At the same age, Bonts has had more Brownlow Votes that Gary Ablett Jr or Nat Fyffe at the same age. With more development and no doubt captaincy to come, there's little doubt Bonts will continue to smash club records and VFL/AFL records. With hopefully another 200 games, I doubt Bonts will ever be dislodged from the TOTC. And so I nominate him.

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I’ve had to update his nomination. He’s making my life far too busy. He hasn’t hit his absolute best yet.

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

I’ve had to update his nomination. He’s making my life far too busy. He hasn’t hit his absolute best yet.

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Jeez I hope we stop wasting his years and start wining silverware.

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Originally Posted by azabob

Jeez I hope we stop wasting his years and start wining silverware.

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I hope so. Just the players his achievements join him with already: Judd, Voss, Matthews (prick) & Whitten. Just spectacular. He’s going to get better still. I hope we bring in players that enhance his game (good ruck especially) so we get more silverware ASAP.

The annual (except last year) bye round TOTC nomination period is now open LATE. There are players are left, some highly decorated, are eligible for nomination. They are: J. Johannisen, L. Hunter, C. Daniel, M. Wallis, Z. Cordy, B. Williams, J. Dunkley & B. Dale.

If there are no nominations over the next week or two then the below team sheet will be the WOOF TOTC until next year. If there are nomination/s (per the nomination format) then we will work on including them in the team.

Current:

Team Of The Century - 23 Years of 100 Years

B: R. Murphy (c) - B. Lake - D. Morris ——— 734 Games, 216 Goals
HB: R. Smith - E. Wood - L. Gilbee ——— 686 Games, 392 Goals
C: N. Eagleton - S. West - M. Bontempelli ——— 724 Games*, 457 Goals*
HF: T. Dickson - C. Grant (vc) - A. Cooney ——— 679 Games, 921 Goals
F: B. Johnson - Vacant - D. Giansiracusa ——— 629 Games, 889 Goals
R: L. Darcy - M. Boyd - T. Liberatore ——— 900 Games*, 335 Goals*
Int: (1) W. Minson - (2) R. Hargrave - (3) R. Griffen ——— 596 Games, 280 Goals
Int: (4) J. Macrae - (5) L. Picken - (6) Vacant ——— 392 Games*, 130 Goals*

Coach: Luke Beveridge: 171 H&A Games, 97 wins/74 losses (56.7%), 12 Finals Games for 7 wins/5 losses (58.3%), 1 X Premiership

Captain: Robert Murphy (41 Games Club Captain, 2015-2017)
Vice Captain: Chris Grant (67 Games Club Captain, 2001-2004)


Full TOTC Squad:

Eligible For Nomination, Having Met 100 Games Threshold: J. Johannisen, L. Hunter, C. Daniel, M. Wallis, Z. Cordy, B. Williams, B. Dale & J. Dunkley

Made Team, But Demoted Later:
Missed Team: D. Cross - J. Roughead - M. Hahn - M. Robbins - S. Higgins - L. Dahlhaus - J. McMahon

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Our TOTC Stats & Details:

Games: 5,140* (Average 230 games, for the 22 Players - Still 2 Vacancies & 4 Players Still Playing)
Goals: 3,621* (Still 2 Vacancies & 4 Players Still Playing)

Best & Fairest Wins: 21 - Bontempelli x 4, West x 4, Boyd x 3, Johnson x 2, Griffen x 2, Darcy, Lake, Wood, Daniel, Liberatore, Hunter

All Australian Selections: 32 - Bontempelli x 4, Macrae x 3, West x 4, Johnson x 4, Boyd x 3, Lake x 2, Murphy x 2, Darcy, Smith, Gilbee, Morris, Cooney, Griffen, Minson, Wood, Daniel, Dale

All Australian Captain Selections: 2 - Johnson, Murphy
Club Captains: 8 of 8 - Grant, Darcy, Johnson, Boyd, Griffen, Murphy, Wood, Bontempelli
Brownlow Medalist: 1 - Adam Cooney
300+ Game Players: 5 - Grant, West, Smith, Johnson, Murphy
Premiership Players: 8 - Picken, Boyd, Bontempelli, Wood, Liberatore, Macrae, Morris, Dickson
AFLPA Best Captain: 2 - Murphy, Bontempelli
AFLPA MVP: 2 - Darcy, Bontempelli
AFL Hall of Fame: 3 - Grant, West, Johnson
Club Legends: 1 - Chris Grant
Club Hall of Fame: 3 - Grant, West, Johnson
1900-1999 TOTC Players: 3 (C. Grant, S. West & B. Johnson)
Father/Sons Across Both TOTC: 1 (Tony & Tom Liberatore)



Note: Stats current to EF, 2022

If Wallis misses again, and Dunkley is traded they will be taken off the board, along with any player who leaves the club this off season without a nomination.

I really can't see anyone that should be nominated at this stage, so I would prefer to hang on for now and see what happens next year.

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Originally Posted by 1eyedog

Bont for captain! Controversial?

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Since you kindly offered, Johnno for me. He carried the captainship easily and I like the Bont to be free just to play not present his face. Let them have Johnno's smile.

I would like to see Clay Smith nominated for interchange; the team could always do with a bit of added mongrel.

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Originally Posted by Jeanette54

I would like to see Clay Smith nominated for interchange; the team could always do with a bit of added mongrel.

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I wish he hit the 100 game mark to make the team. But, Will 'White Line Fever' Minson, Shaggy with his great punching ability (ask Heath Black - easily the best 3 week suspension earned) and Liam Picken will have to flay the flag off the bench at this point.

Next year, if Naughton, stays fit to 100+ games, we might actually have an opportunity to nominate a full forward! After 24 seasons!!!

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Originally Posted by bulldogtragic

I wish he hit the 100 game mark to make the team. But, Will 'White Line Fever' Minson, Shaggy with his great punching ability (ask Heath Black - easily the best 3 week suspension earned) and Liam Picken will have to flay the flag off the bench at this point.

Next year, if Naughton, stays fit to 100+ games, we might actually have an opportunity to nominate a full forward! After 24 seasons!!!

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Naughtons 100th was in the Freo Final. He is eligible.

Well then, proper nominations available this year are:

A. Naughton, J. Johannisen, L. Hunter, C. Daniel, M. Wallis, Z. Cordy, B. Williams, B. Dale & J. Dunkley

#33 Aaron Naughton, 100* games, 147* goals, 2018-Current, Wing, 195cm, 93kg, drafted from Peel Thunder, Western Australia.

Nominated for: Full Forward
Alternatives for: Centre Half Forward

Achievements (To Date):

AFLPA (Best) 22 Under 22: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
2018 Rising Star Nominee (Round 23)
2018 Chris Grant Best First Year Player Award (also placing fourth in the Best & Fairest in his first year)
2019 Locker Group Coaches Award
2021 Grand Final Team
2021 Scott West Most Courageous Award 2021 (Grand Final Year)
2021 Runner Up, Leading Goal Kicker (one off equal top spot)
2022 Gary Dempsey Medal (3rd in the Best & Fairest)
2022 Club Leading Goal Kicker (11th Overall for the Competition)

Drafted at Pick 9 in 2017 AFL Draft.

Originally drafted as an attacking elite intercept defender. Naughton would excel in the role in his first year at the club, playing 18 games in his debut year in which he won the Best First Year Player Award and finished 4th in the Best & Fairest. Before switching ends of the ground in his second season to Full Forward, being the 2019 Season.

In an early game of the 2019 Season, Naughton as a then 19 year old, ripped his Richmond opponents apart kicking 5 Goals and taking 9 Contested Marks (14 marks in total), just one the record set by Wayne Carey decades earlier. The Richmond remarked after the game; “We could’ve had Jesus Christ playing down there tonight and I reckon he would’ve struggled on him."

Naughton would fast become a fan favourite and excitement machine with aerial marking skills seldom seen at AFL level. Naughton would play in the 2021 Final Series including the AFL Grand Final, at Full Forward, at the age of just 21. In 2022 he would finish 11th in the AFL Goal Kicking with 51 Goals, 34 Behinds for the season.

In just five seasons he has racked up 100 games, and 147 goals. And is yet to have his 23rd Birthday. Note also he has kicked 145 Goals in just 82 Games since becoming a Full Forward. And as a nod to his leadership within the playing group, Naughton was elevated into the club's leadership group at just age 22.

This nomination is only going to get more crammed full of achievements to more Naughton plays.

At the time of this nomination, Naughton had already risen to the 35th Highest Goal Kicker in the entire history of the FFC/WBFC.