Life can be a lonely place when you’re in isolation for an extended period, even for an AFL superstar.
Sure, there’s daily running and weights sessions, Zoom calls, Foxtel, Netflix and raiding the cupboard for leftover Easter eggs.
But sometimes that’s just not enough.
One isolation craze in vogue at present is to introduce man’s best friend to the household – and Marcus Bontempelli is all over it.
The Dogs skipper revealed recently on the Club’s podcast Barkly Street, which he co-hosts with Bob Murphy, that he was considering welcoming a puppy during the isolation period.
Of course, he asked Dogs fans what they thought on which breed to look into, with options including Border Collie, German Shepherd, Kelpie and of course, the Bulldog.
Before he could let the Twitter poll guide his thinking, a nice surprise from his immediate family arrived – a Kelpie pup named Mya.
“My sister had been doing a lot of research for me, so she was way ahead of me in terms of the different people to go to, and different breeders,” Bontempelli told Murphy on this week’s Barkly Street episode.
“It was a bit of a surprise that we had to go and get her over the weekend.
“She’s keeping me busy. She’s gorgeous, and she’s been really good.
“Timing wise, it’s a good chance to teach her and train her properly, being home a fair bit more.”
For those wondering, the inspiration behind the name ‘Mya’ came from one of Bontempelli’s favourite childhood movies starring Paul Walker, Eight Below, which centres around the journey of survival of a pack of sled dogs (led by a fearless canine named Mya) during a snowstorm in the Antarctic.
LISTEN NOW: Hear more about Bont's new four legged friend, as well as his life in isolation on 'The Barkly Street Podcast' hosted by Bob Murphy and Marcus Bontempelli. You can listen to this week's episode below or subscribe to it on iTunes, TuneIn Radio, and Whooshkaa, or simply by searching ‘The Barkly Street Podcast’ in the search section of any of these podcast platforms.
