Former Eltham junior Marcus Bontempelli has been appointed captain of the Western Bulldogs.
The 24-year-old has been the Bulldogs’ vice-captain for the past two seasons and takes the reins from 2016 premiership skipper Easton Wood.
Bontempelli will be one of two former NFNL juniors to captain an AFL club in 2020, joining two-time Richmond premiership skipper Trent Cotchin.
The silky midfielder has been one of the AFL’s most dominant and respected players since making his debut in 2014.
He has won the Western Bulldogs’ best and fairest, the Charles Sutton Medal, on three occasions, including in the 2016 premiership season.
This season he claimed the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year Award and was named in the All-Australian team for the second time.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said Bontempelli was a deserving selection as captain.
“Congratulations to Marcus as he succeeds Easton as our captain,” Beveridge said.
“We have come to admire Marcus for the impact he has had on the game and his already remarkable reputation as a Western Bulldogs player.
“We are blessed to have tremendous wealth of character within our playing group.
Marcus has been acknowledged by his peers as the young man who deserves recognition through past contributions, the promise of the future and the impression he will make as the captain of our Club.
“It goes without saying that everyone here is thrilled for Marcus and will do all we can to support him as he takes on new responsibilities.”
Bontempelli played his junior football with Eltham, before being drafted from the Northern Knights with pick No.4 in the 2013 AFL National Draft.
