Marcus Bontempelli looks like the future and dominates the present. He is already a superstar. Soon, he will be a supernova.
Bontempelli’s movement is strange and wonderful. He’s built like a mountain and slithers like a viper.
He doesn’t accelerate into flames like Patrick Dangerfield, and he doesn’t glide across water like Scott Pendlebury. Instead, he hunts.
He ambles after the ball with purpose, showing his mountainous 192-centimetre frame, looking like Travis Cloke if Cloke’s centre of gravity was a little lower and he was listening to Miles Davis.
But with the ball in hand any semblance of awkwardness evaporates. He becomes its master – in total control of time and space.
Like the Cloke of yesteryear, his hands are like glue in the air, but no glove is required. So many of the greats make the ball feel like an extension of their body, and at 20 years old, Bontempelli already inspires that feeling. You get the sense he would have at seven years old too. With the champions, you just know.
He’s fearless, which figures, because with his towering physique there shouldn’t really be any reason for him to be afraid. His kicking is powerful and bullet-like, and his goal-sense is virtually peerless for a midfielder his age – he averages almost a goal per game and is third on the Bulldogs’ goal-kicking chart this year.
He operates in Pendlebury Standard Time (PST), showing that rare, magical awareness where everything seems to occur for him in Keanu-Reeves-in-The-Matrix speed, processing chaotic situations with an almost inhuman calmness. In a game obsessed with speed and aggression, Bontempelli uses the fire and mania of his opponents against them, sidestepping and dummying fools into oblivion.
The football player Bontempelli reminds me of most doesn’t even play the same sport. The Bont moves like a taller version of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere who works out more, providing the illusion of devastating pace with sumptuous turns and weaves.
Wilshere’s trademark is to have his back to his attacking goal, receive a pass, but instead of possessing the ball like defenders expect him to, he lets the ball continue on its path, and then quickly turns to chase after it. In this split second of manufactured confusion, Wilshere creates his advantage against defenders, over and over again.
Bontempelli’s game is littered with similar moments of instinctive genius. In the first quarter of last weekend’s clash against North Melbourne he took a regulation mark on the back-flank in front of his opponent then immediately wheeled around and zoomed past the defender in a singular motion.
It was a totally innocuous moment, but in a position where most players would simply go back on their mark – the safe, predictable custom – Bontempelli was proactive, leveraging expectation against his man, creating that slight advantage that gives birth to incisive offence. He’s an artist who paints when he feels like it.
Ryan Buckland declared the Bont the best young player in the AFL earlier in the year. That’s not in dispute – the only question is when we can drop the ‘young’ from that title.
Bontempelli couldn’t buy a beer in New York City and he’s eighth in the betting for the Brownlow. And he’s only scraped the surface of his potential.
What he’s shown so far has been like Robert De Niro in Mean Streets – The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull are still to come (we pray that there will be no late career Meet the Fockers for the Bont).
You won’t find Bontempelli in the top 30 in the league for disposals, tackles, clearances or inside 50s. He averages just 24 touches a game – less than either of the superstar Richmond duo of Shaun Grigg and Bachar Houli. These statistical shortcomings aren’t an indictment of Bontempelli though – they’re just a testament to how influential he is when he does get the ball.
He was the headline star last Saturday night, the dominant player on the ground with just 19 touches. How many midfielders in the sport can be a game’s most influential player with fewer than 20 disposals? Bontempelli’s touches are so decisive though, and his game so well-rounded – nine tackles, eight marks, 79 per cent disposal efficiency and a goal on the weekend – that he’s the rare on-baller who can dictate a game’s direction without accumulating huge numbers.
Bontempelli will find the ball more often over time, and the rest of the league should be very afraid. Over his first three years he’s upped his disposals per game tally from 15.9 to 21.1 to 24.2. Given his imposing physique and exceptional nous, there’s no reason that number can’t eventually approach 30. When that happens, the walls of the AFL will start bleeding.
As admirably stubborn as they are, this Bulldogs season is a lost one. But nothing is lost when you get to watch Bontempelli every week.
Every fan-base longs for a generational star, someone who makes going to the football worthwhile every single round.
Richmond and Carlton fans can put up with the existential dread that surrounds and consumes the likes of Tyrone Vickery and Levi Casboult because they get to delight in the wonders of Dustin Martin and Patrick Cripps. Bulldogs fans have that for the next decade with Bontempelli, and in a reality that is foreign to Tigers and Blues supporters, they have the added benefit of the rest of their team being really good too.
It’s not all there just yet for the Bulldogs and the Bont, and there was a symbolic moment to open the second quarter against North Melbourne that spoke to this. Before the bounce, the camera zoomed in on Jake Stringer and his #9, then eased out to bring Bontempelli’s #4 into the picture. It was a snapshot of the future, and glory to come.
From the bounce, the ball spilled towards the far wing and Stringer and Bontempelli both hunted it with conviction. There was nobody around them but they were both so hell-bent and focused on the ball that they collided and took each other out. The ball rolled meekly into congestion and a ball-up resulted.
It was a nice little moment of blind youthful exuberance, an illustration that while the future is bright, the present still needs some polish.
But with Marcus Bontempelli as the artist, the finishing touches will inevitably come.
Paul W
Guest
The Bont showed his nasty streak starting to come out against the Cats and North. And he just won't be intimidated.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
Fair call Darren (although you've overstated his B&Fs by one). So he's had 4 good seasons out of 15. Which is excellent for most blokes, but poor for a bloke who once won the league's MVP. That four-year period you mentioned (96-99) he was aged 23-26 and should have dominated. Not sure that he did much from 2002-04 either. I just think he was one of those players over-pumped by his own club and supporters on the back of a couple of outstanding years. A lot of his career was a letdown with the word "potential" a constant theme.
justinr
Guest
Both Bontempelli and Coniglio will win Brownlows, who will get there first is the question.
Darren L
Roar Rookie
That's harsh. He was All Australian in 1995 and, in the eyes of many shoudl have won the Norm Smith. 96-99 saw some great performance but not consistency. 2000 was obviously a brilliant year but he had a knee injury at the end that pretty much took away a Brownlow. In 2001 he won the best and fairest in a team that finished 5th. Blues were on track to beat the Tigers in the semi final when Kouta did his knee. He was then out for a year. He didn't come back with the same athletic ability and became an inside midfielder. Carlton were then crap and needed him there. He won another 2 B&Fs during this time. So I think you are focussing on 96-99. Otherwise he had a great career somewhat curtailed by the knee injury.
Macca
Guest
PD - From what I have seen of Bontempelli I would agree with that.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Except that Kouta only had one outstanding season and is one of the most over-rated, under-achieving (given his talent) players ever.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Macca, I haven't seen much of Cripps but I accept he is a young star on the rise and his stats are impressive. He would be great in our midfield. ? But what I would say about Bont is that he is a very clear case of a footballer where the stats don't tell the right story. When you watch him play, you really notice most of his possessions. Not just because they are damaging, but also because they are highly skilful and impressive in the manner in which he glides around, takes possession in traffic and wheels clear to deliver perfectly, or flicks off a handball lightning quick to a teammate most observers hadn't considered would be the next person in the flow of possessions, or he side-steps out of trouble. I think his class stands out even ahead of the superstars of the game. He is a combination of Penlebury and Fyfe rolled into one. I've never really seen anyone like him.
Macca
Guest
Those 3rd year stats are very similar but Liberatore's output is well down this year because of that positional change - perhaps if we can get a Bontempelli & Daniel in this years draft and Cuningham turns out to be as good as MacRae we might be able to push him forward more but I am happy to see him stay in the middle. One thing I am hoping to see is Curnow and Cripps playing together - I think Curnow will be a forward who can go through the middle and Cripps can be a mid who goes forward - I think they will make a great combination.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
A perfection comparison for Bont in my mind is Koutafides, similarly graceful with real x-factor
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
i saw him against us ( Hawks ) and he lorded over our midfield Not only dominating it but intimidating it
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
Agree that he needs to tidy up his kicking. As for not being able to afford him outside the midfield, check out these numbers comparing Tom Liberatore in his third season to Cripps in his 3rd season. Libba spent much more time forward this year under Beveridge, who has plenty in common with Bolton. http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=8&playerStatus2=A&tid2=4&type=A&pid1=3486&pid2=3930&fid1=P&fopt1=2013&fid2=S Not many Hawks are 100% mid …
Macca
Guest
His last 4 weeks have been super impressive Tim - averaging 31 touches, 7 tackles and 1 goal 1 behind against quality sides West Coast, Sydney, Hawthorn and St Kilda is hard to beat.
Macca
Guest
Yeah but he needs to improve his set shot kicking - he regularly takes a good grab when he goes forward but misses the goal. On the weekend he managed 2.2 (one hitting the post) so he is dangerous but I don't think we will ever get to a position where we could be without his impact around the ball - averaging those sort of clearance, tackle and contested ball numbers when he is yet to reach 50 games is amazing - you can't leave that sitting in the forward 50.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I think both are similarly complete and if i was pressed to pick one, Cripps In fact, I would have Cripps over any other mid in the comp- i think he is that good and with a huge upside
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
That's somewhat true. I think it's been as much about the Bulldogs needing him to play forward because that is their weakness. It's something I think Cripps could be quite good at when Carlton can afford to remove him from the ball more regularly. He's quite good in the air and already incredibly strong.
Macca
Guest
I don't think I would express it quite the same way but I agree with the sentiment. What I would add is that because the bulldogs have a bit more depth of class through the middle (especially with Murphy out for so long) Bontempelli can spend more time forward which leads to him kicking more goals which catches peoples eyes more.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
They're different players. Cripps more a bull in the mould of Josh Kennedy, Bontempelli is a more complete and balanced player. Both are stars.
Macca
Guest
If we look at their stats this year Tim we see Cripps is averaging more possessions (26.7 to 24.2), more tackles (6.1 to 4.7) more contested possession (16.1 to 11.6) more effective disposals (19.1 to 16.8) and more clearances (8.4 to 4.3) - Bontempelli averaged more marks (3.6 to 3.4), more contested marks (0.6 to 0.4) more goals (1 to 0.5) and more behinds (0.7 to 0.6). Both special players but looking at those I am a little surprised to see Bontempelli so far ahead of Cripps in most awards this year - I suppose winning games makes a difference.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Still hard to believe Lewis Taylor pipped the Bont to the rising star award. Surrounded by that outstanding young side at the Dogs, he is going to be a top 5 player in the competition for years.
Josh
Expert
I'd say the Bont is going to be an elite player, but he already is. Said a few games into his career that I thought he would be the best player in the league at some point - as suggested, Jay, you can just tell, he has that quality. Teach him to show a bit more malice and he will dominate the comp ;)