What would Bont need to achieve?

[angelopetraglia]

If Bont ends his career as a Premiership Captain and Brownlow Medalist I would be happy to rename the football club. We would from that day forward be known as the Bontempelli Football Club (on the back of our jumper we would have FFC and WBFC).

[hujsh]

Realistically it can't really happen. Whitten's legend only grew after he retired and his personality and media presence was a big part of that. Even if Bont was as talented as Whitten in that area the media landscape is too fragmented now for that to happen.

If it did happen it would be when we're all dead except for the youngest of us and our kids/grandkids are left to talk about how we thought he was the best ever. Way better than King Rexidonius, Garry Abblett the 8th or FM3X (Football Machine model 3000), the current greatest players, could ever hope to be.

[1eyedog]

BT this thread will get some love, get some hate, get some controversy?

Not sure I will be bias enough to participate.

I didn?t see EJ play only seen the highlights and heard the stories. It seems he was our only shining light for a long long time.

Marcus Bontempelli is the best player I?ve seen pull on the red, white and blue. He is our modern day hero. Without him the 2016 flag does not happen.

Why isn?t Bontempelli rated along side EJ now?

Because EJ was in the AFL's Team of the Century. Will Bont be in this at the end of his career? Actually not only was EJ listed in the AFL's Team of the Century, he was the Captain. The Captain of the AFL's Team of the Century. The best Captain across 100 years of football. Good luck trying to top that.

Bloke was top 5 of the Greatest players to have ever played the game.

[jeemak]

Who did they possibly have instead?

I'm assuming Matera or Pavlich?

Pavlich. And I think at this point that's probably fair enough. The guy kicked 700 goals across 353 games in a side that was often ordinary and a bit like Grant, many games in the back half/ away from goal.

In five years time I this he'll have overtaken him.

[jeemak]

Because EJ was in the AFL's Team of the Century. Will Bont be in this at the end of his career? Actually not only was EJ listed in the AFL's Team of the Century, he was the Captain. The Captain of the AFL's Team of the Century. The best Captain across 100 years of football. Good luck trying to top that.

Bloke was top 5 of the Greatest players to have ever played the game.

EJ is in the same conversation as Matthews, Carey, GAs/ GAj etc. etc. etc. Bont won't be considered the best of his generation most likely.

[hujsh]

EJ is in the same conversation as Matthews, Carey, GAs/ GAj etc. etc. etc. Bont won't be considered the best of his generation most likely.

Who would be considered best do you think? Dusty?

[jeemak]

Who would be considered best do you think? Dusty?

I think so, depending on how narrowly you define his era.

Then you have Dangerfield, Fyffe, and a whole bunch of Collingwood supporters who think Pendlebury is better, with Nick Daicos already elite and probably crossing over with him for six or more years and at this rate likely to overtake him.

[Sedat]

I think so, depending on how narrowly you define his era.

Then you have Dangerfield, Fyffe, and a whole bunch of Collingwood supporters who think Pendlebury is better, with Nick Daicos already elite and probably crossing over with him for six or more years and at this rate likely to overtake him.

He will certainly overtake him in the "frees for" stat.

Dusty is the greatest player of this century so far - he even has Buddy and Ablett Jnr covered, let alone the others mentioned above (who he is comfortably ahead of IMO). One of my favourite ever non-Bulldogs moments was in the 2020 GF when Dusty turned Danger inside out in the forward pocket and made him eat dirt on his way to icing the game, winning a 3rd flag and getting a 3rd Norm Smith. If he and half the team didn't have food poisoning in the lead-up to the 2018 PF, they would have likely won 4 in 4.

Speaking of Danger, apparently he and Geelong won a flag in 2022, but they didn't win jack shit in the Greek Islands where I was at the time. I'll keep pretending it was a scurrilous rumour that never eventuated.

[Bulldog Joe]

So to match Dusty as best of his generation Bont needs to win a few Norm Smiths and carry us to some flags.

Personally I would be happy if we can get some multiple flags through the remainder of his career.

[jazzadogs]

I think to get the oval, Bont would need to come back and coach for a few years after his 300+ game premiership captain career was over, as well as some time on the board. A lifetime of contributions to the club.

Even getting a stand seems like a lot. What does our games record holder Brad Johnson get?

[bulldogtragic]

I think to get the oval, Bont would need to come back and coach for a few years after his 300+ game premiership captain career was over, as well as some time on the board. A lifetime of contributions to the club.

Even getting a stand seems like a lot. What does our games record holder Brad Johnson get?

A golf cart reference for life.