Almanac Footy: What is it about ‘The Bont’?

 

 

 

Whenever I’ve been asked about who my favourite players of all time are, the answer is a difficult one but my short list would be:

 

Malcolm Blight – He was the only player poster I had stuck on my wall as a kid in WA alongside Led Zeppelin! My younger brother and I would watch The Winners religiously and practice being the great man whenever we could, whether it was down the oval or in the hallway with some rolled up socks. We can both thank him for being quite proficient on our opposite sides through hundreds of hours practice. Blight was a unique individual, having been a smoker all his life. We had an assistant coach at Werribee in 1993, a lovely bloke named Dennis Davey who was Blight’s assistant at Geelong in 1989. During the classic grand-final, Dennis and Blighty were nervously chain smoking so much that Hawthorn’s coach Allan Jeans and Football Manager Brian Coleman politely asked if they could ease up due to the secondary smoke they were inhaling in the neighbouring coaches box! Blighty was a special player whether at ground level or in the air and was everything my brother and I loved about the game.

 

Tony Lockett – As ‘The Coodabeen’s’ sang, there was only one ‘Plugger’. In the 80’s and 90’s there wasn’t a great deal of science in the game and Plugger proudly avoided anything strenuous at training, specifically weights-related. His natural strength was extraordinary and he terrorised opponents on a weekly basis. It was a great time for sharp shooters, but I think what separated him from the others was that he played in some average teams unlike Dunstall and Ablett. What a time it was for champion full forwards.

 

Robert Harvey – Like Craig Bradley at Carlton, ‘Banga’ was indefatigable. He ran a marathon at fifteen and was constantly being told to stop doing extras whilst at the Saints. A totally selfless and loyal individual who could easily have moved clubs for the money. A true superstar in my eyes.

 

Greg Williams – Diesel simply had the best footy brain and was the most skilful little man I have ever seen. Perhaps Sam Mitchell could be the modern equivalent. I also loved Diesel’s resilience having been knocked back by Carlton twice before being picked up by Geelong then Sydney. He had little time for taggers and gave as good as he got. Utterly ruthless in his approach and slow as a wet week, he proved that athleticism wasn’t everything if you wanted to play AFL.

 

So the latest addition to the list is Marcus Bontempelli. No real surprise I guess, but I was watching the Dogs v Port thriller last night. Only a minute left, the Dogs are a point up and Port need to kick out from goal and go as far as they can down the guts.

 

I yelled out “that ball needs to be punched back!”. The kick lands almost in the centre and whilst into a huge pack, only one fist makes contact and the ball heads back to safety. The fist was of course was ‘Bont’s’. This is what he does. Pure unadulterated leadership.

 

I’m not a big one for stats but I thought for the sake of this piece I’d check out ‘The Bont’s’ career so far.

 

Key Career Statistics (Correct to Round 8, 2026)

• Games: 266
• Goals: 265
• Average Disposals: ~25–27+ per game
• 2026 Season Averages (thru R8): 27 disposals, 13.9 kicks, 13.8 handballs, 1.4 goals
• Career Brownlow Votes: 213 (as of 2025)

Major Achievements & Awards

• AFL Premiership Player: 2016
• Western Bulldogs Captain: 2020–present
• All-Australian: 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 (vc), 2023 (vc), 2024 (c), 2025
• Charles Sutton Medal (Best & Fairest): 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
• AFLPA MVP (Leigh Matthews Trophy): 2021, 2023, 2024
• AFLCA Champion Player of the Year: 2019

Detailed Player Information

• Draft: Pick 4, 2013 AFL Draft
• Height/Weight: 194cm / 94kg

 

I’ve made no secret of the fact I wanted ‘The Bont’ as my son-in-law and I ordered my eldest daughter to stalk him in order to form a relationship. She refused, so I’ve disowned her. Just kidding of course!

 

He seems like such a nice bloke! Humble, composed, tough, gifted and a brilliant role model. Like Scott Pendlebury and his basketball background, ‘The Bont’s’ clean hands are superb and therefore enable the extra time he always seemingly has.

 

I have a slightly ambivalent view pertaining to ‘The Bont’. He was taken at #4 in the 2013 draft, which means the Saints’ List Management Team overlooked him with our #3 pick. With all due respect, because anyone who has played AFL at the highest level deserves it, but to take Jack Billings instead of ‘The Bont’ may well be the dumbest decision the club has made.

 

I try not to think of what the outcome could have been especially when another overlooked draftee in Petracca could have been running around with him in tandem……must move on.

 

‘The Bont’s’ versatility is his one wood. He goes where the team needs him and he does it with such aplomb when other players take years trying to hone their craft in a single position.

 

He’s already a giant of the game and still so young. Fingers crossed his body holds up and he provides years more joy for everyone. Love ‘The Bont’.

 

Read more from Ian Wilson HERE

 

To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au home page click HERE.

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE