Season in short
From the moment he kicked the first goal of the season 20 seconds into the opener against Fremantle, to lifting the premiership cup on grand final day, it’s been quite the season for Marcus Bontempelli.
In between, the 20-year-old won his first Sutton Medal, was selected in the All-Australian side and was named captain of the AFLPA's 22under22 team. He also become the youngest winning captain in the history of the game when he led the side to victory over the West Coast Eagles in round 11.
While the smooth moving Bontempelli’s 2016 season saw him shift into the upper echelon of the competition’s best midfielders, his ability to turn games when moved forward gave Luke Beveridge another shiny new weapon.
Think Adelaide in round seven, West Coast in round 11, Port Adelaide in round 12 and a goal at the 16-minute-mark of the final term of the preliminary final to give his side the lead. The Dogs never looked back.
Then there were the stats. Third at the Club for total disposals, fourth for metres gained, first for contested possessions, first for clearances, first for tackles, third for goals and first for score involvements.
Still, it feels like he’s just getting started.
The stat that mattered
Bontempelli finished fifth in the AFL Player Ratings, the youngest player in the top 100.
What they said
“I wanted to achieve some consistency (this year) and become a player that was able to turn up week-in, week-out. That, as well as some off-field stuff around relationships with the boys.
“I think that’s the thing that makes this [season] so special is the relationship you’ve got with each player here and that’s something I think I’ve grown in because of the love for the Club and the love for the people here.
“On-field it was just about playing good footy for as long as I could and helped get this team across the line.”
Gram of the year
Just one of the great photos to come out of the Grand Final. It could be the socks.
