Marcus Bontempelli

[1eyedog]

Good question. I have Doug in my top 6 with Bont, KT, Grant, Johnson (if he'd been 5 cm taller we wouldn't be having this conversation-he would have been the best) and Libba. Sometimes that top 5 changes and players like Dempsey, West or Royal come in but the top 2 don't change.

Bont owns moments inside games. He wins contests and kicks goals that seal/win games and that's what sets him apart from every other Bulldog player I've seen. If the game is in the balance and a contest needs winning if Marcus is heading for that contest then put down the glasses the game is won. Only other teams have had that player in all the time I've been following the game and that's what makes him the best I've seen.

KT dominated games like no-one and his 1980 season was sublime. But he was fallible and made the odd mistake. He could miss easy goals or give away stupid free kicks. He got upset with teammates who weren't as talented as him and umpires. He was probably more talented than Bont but Bont is the ultimate teammate and match winner. Bont will pick a team up and carry them over he line to a win but Templeton didn't do that. Due to the position he played KT relied on others to make him great and if they let him down then he'd let them know.. Marcus does it all himself and if things aren't going his way he will make them.

Doug was as talented as any player I've seen but he probably wasn't as vigilant in his preparation as others and that is the difference between him and the truly great players. Doug would fire up in big games, his finals in 1985 were as good as I've seen. Maybe if he'd played with Essendon or Hawthorn in the mid to late '80s we would have seen an even better version of him but from a selfish POV I'm so glad we saw him play 17 of his 18 season in the tricolour. In a way i loved Doug more than I loved any other player I saw. He was a bit like the naughty, cheeky kid you let get away with stuff you wouldn't countenance from other kids.

I agree. Marcus can do everything all the other Bulldog greats could do but he is set apart from them by his ability to turn games in our favour more often and more consistently than any Bulldog I have seen play.

Note that I never saw EJ but many of the yester year greats who did have him comfortably in their top 5 of all time. I'm not qualified to say Bont is better than EJ and I never will be. That's for others to decide.

[Twodogs]

I agree. Marcus can do everything all the other Bulldog greats could do but he is set apart from them by his ability to turn games in our favour more often and more consistently than any Bulldog I have seen play.

Note that I never saw EJ but many of the yester year greats who did have him comfortably in their top 5 of all time. I'm not qualified to say Bont is better than EJ and I never will be. That's for others to decide.

I only saw Teddy play once, my dad took me to his last ever game, but I was lucky enough to have him kick the footy to me one time when I was a teenager. The ball came at me like a tracer bullet and nearly knocked me off my feet!

[1eyedog]

I only saw Teddy play once, my dad took me to his last ever game, but I was lucky enough to have him kick the footy to me one time when I was a teenager. The ball came at me like a tracer bullet and nearly knocked me off my feet!

No half step nonsense for Teddy!

[macca]

The gift that keeps on giving. Thank you St Kilda, again, for not taking him. He will be one of the greatest to ever play the game and an upstanding citizen to boot. We are very fortunate to have him leading our club. I need to remind myself how lucky it is to watch him play for us.

Did you see any of the Saints players going into battle for billings ? (rhetorical question, can't stop laughing)

watched the video again
0.43 : "like short term deals.. keep me hungry on my toes"
1.38 " Matty Boyd, Murphy, Morris inspired me and help others along the way"
1.58 Great pic of Bevo and Bonts embracing the moment
2.07 " bevo strikes balance of coach vs friend ... progress together and make most of time we have together"
2.50 " so many Names , we are sum of all parts, we all benefitting from the growth of careers of these players"

Optimus prime like speech.

Can see why he inspires his players, will go into battle for him any time.

[Grantysghost]

We talk about Billings, but we forget the other joyous part of that draft. GWS had 1 and 2. (Boyd, Kelly).

[1eyedog]

We talk about Billings, but we forget the other joyous part of that draft. GWS had 1 and 2. (Boyd, Kelly).

They made the right choice with Boyd and the rest is history.

[Mofra]

We talk about Billings, but we forget the other joyous part of that draft. GWS had 1 and 2. (Boyd, Kelly).

There was talk on Bulldog forums of trading up from 4 to 1 to get Boyd. He was that highly rated - kicked 4 in a quarter on Aliir Aliir IIRC.
Bont was a fair bolter late in the season

[Grantysghost]

They made the right choice with Boyd and the rest is history.

It was a master stroke.

[Grantysghost]

There was talk on Bulldog forums of trading up from 4 to 1 to get Boyd. He was that highly rated - kicked 4 in a quarter on Aliir Aliir IIRC.
Bont was a fair bolter late in the season

Bont was the surprise really wasn’t he, the rest were touted for ages.

I think a bit of revisionist history license is warranted because of the teams involved

[bulldogsthru&thru]

As much as I despise GWS and St Kilda, we’ve ultimately really had the much better end of the stick with both.

[Mofra]

Bont was the surprise really wasn’t he, the rest were touted for ages.

I think a bit of revisionist history license is warranted because of the teams involved

All the talk seemed to be a choice between Aish (seen as a safe bet because he was playign well in the SANFL seniors) and Scharenberg who was more of a high-ceiling type.

I suspect the Cale Morton experience - knowing Dalrymple was a number cruncher prior to recruiting and that a high UC % number we now know has translated into kids underperforming at AFL level relative to draft position - meant that Aish probably wasn't that high on our draft board going into draft night.

Weirdly I don't think we were ever linked to Kolo who the Suns were keen on and took with pick 5.

[Mofra]

As much as I despise GWS and St Kilda, we’ve ultimately really had the much better end of the stick with both.

Billings ahead of Bont and Clark/Coffield ahead of Naughton must burn as much as Paddy McC ahead of Petracca.

We did give GWS Ward though who has been incredible for them. Super player.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Billings ahead of Bont and Clark/Coffield ahead of Naughton must burn as much as Paddy McC ahead of Petracca.

We did give GWS Ward though who has been incredible for them. Super player.

That certainly hurt. But I’d much prefer Macrae and the subsequent events of them poaching Griffen.

[jeemak]

I only saw Teddy play once, my dad took me to his last ever game, but I was lucky enough to have him kick the footy to me one time when I was a teenager. The ball came at me like a tracer bullet and nearly knocked me off my feet!

I find that hard to believe, given your burley frame.

[Twodogs]

I find that hard to believe, given your burley frame.

Not to mention my superb balance.