Marcus Bontempelli from the Western Bulldogs Football Club is the Round 13 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
Marcus, 18, played a key role in the Bulldogs’ eight-point win over Collingwood at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. His 22 possessions, five marks and four tackles were complemented by his composure under pressure — highlighted when he calmly spotted Jason Tutt inside 50 who kicked the match sealing goal in the dying minutes of the game.
Playing in his sixth AFL game, he kicked his first AFL goal in the third quarter at a crucial time of the match.
Standing at 192cm, Marcus plays as a tall midfielder, but his agility and endurance enables him to play in any position. He made AFL debut in Round Five.
Marcus Bontempelli is available for interview tomorrow:
Tuesday June 17 at 12.30pm
Whitten Oval
Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said Marcus had impressed his coaches and teammates alike in his debut season.
“Marcus loves the game, he loves helping his teammates and just wants to be a great Western Bulldogs person,” McCartney said.
“He’s really starting to forge ahead with his footy because he listens, learns the game and he implements his learnings — he comes to the club every day to get better.”
“Marcus has a very bright future, and it’s our responsibility to manage him the right way and give him every opportunity to have a long career at our club.”
Marcus was the Western Bulldogs’ first selection (selection four overall) at the 2013 NAB AFL Draft.
He represented Vic Metro at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and is a graduate of the AFL Academies program. His endurance was evident at the 2013 NAB AFL Draft Combine where he ran a 14.7 in the beep test.
He was recruited from the Eltham Panthers Junior Football Club and the Northern Knights.
Marcus is the Western Bulldogs’ first rising star nominee this year. He is also Nick Dal Santo’s cousin.
Following each round of the home and away season, a panel of judges will select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal and a $20,000 personal investment folio and a dedicated personal banker, courtesy of NAB.
NAB continues to grow the game by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Each of the 23 clubs will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2,500, comprising financial and practical resources. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $660,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
NAB has been Footifying Australia since 2002 through the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program which comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
- AFL National Academies
- NAB AFL Under-16 Championships
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