AFL 2025: Western Bulldogs champion Marcus Bontempelli decides his future
A day after being named the second greatest player in the club's history, and after almost a year of growing speculation around his future, Bontempelli inked a deal which will keep him a Bulldog until he is 34.
It will take his time at the club to 16 seasons and push him well beyond 300 games, injudy permitting, having already racked up 253 since his 2014 debut.
His resume includes the 2016 premiership, six best-and-fairest awards and six All-Australian nods.
Bontempelli said the delay in doing his deal was due to a 'few different things happening' including getting married, but was never in doubt.
'This club means so much to me, it's hard to put it into a few words to be honest,' he said.
'It is where I have grown as a man and spent all of my adult years coming here at 18.
Marcus Bontempelli will be a Bulldog for life. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
'When I think about the person I want to become it has been influenced by the people I have spent a lot of time with at the Western Bulldogs.
'I owe so much from a footballing experience perspective but I think I really owe a lot of my maturing as a person and as a man to the football club.
'For me, it's such a special place, the fans, the people that have supported me along the way. I've never not felt supported by our people here at the Club.
'I feel incredibly lucky to have had that for so long.'
The new deal for Bontempelli adds him to a list of key recontracted stars which includes teammates Tim English and Sam Darcy, with Aaron Naughton
Premiership winning coach Luke Beveridge has also signed to a two-year extension last month.
Bontempelli was unveiled as the second greatest Bulldog, behind only Ted Whitten, on Monday night at the club's centenary celebration.
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