Western Bulldogs to play Collingwood in their 100th year anniversary game as Sam Darcy moves closer to signing new deal
With three of their biggest stars coming out of contract next year, Western Bulldogs will need to move quickly. GLENN MCFARLANE has the latest on how talks are progressing.
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Emerging star Sam Darcy shapes as being the likely first contract domino to fall for the Western Bulldogs as the club works on locking away three of its most important players beyond 2025.
The Herald Sun understands there have already been some early positive discussions surrounding a new deal for 21-year-old Darcy which could be finalised by Christmas.
His current deal runs out at the end of next year, and the forward-ruck could potentially become one of the competition’s best players during the course of his next contract.
He made it clear to this masthead he intends to recommit his future to the club where he is a third generation player, following on from his father Luke and his grandfather David.
“I leave that all to my manager, but I am really passionate about the club,” Darcy said.
“I can’t see there will be any problems with it (a new contract). I’m in no rush; we will see how it unfolds. But this club means so much to me. I’ve got a rich family history here.
Career-high 7 goals, one to go home and tell Dad about ðŸ˜
— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) August 19, 2024
Forging his way into Dogs history, Sam Darcy. pic.twitter.com/RQXeg8wSAt
“I grew up supporting this club and I’m very grateful to be living out my dreams playing here.”
Darcy is one of three key Bulldog contract priorities heading into next season, with six-time best and fairest winner and skipper Marcus Bontempelli and rising midfield star Ed Richards also about to enter the final year of their current deals.
All three are managed by Tom Petroro, which makes the collective negotiations smoother, with the Bulldogs extremely confident the trio will recommit long-term to the club.
After two injury-challenged seasons, Darcy came of age this year, playing 21 games and kicking 38 goals – just five goals fewer than club leading goalkicker Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains said the club had three playing contracts “of particular significance” to focus on, but stressed he was confident in the outcome of all.
There was just no stopping Sam Darcy 😤#AFLFinals#AFLDogsHawkspic.twitter.com/CgRHV0jgTE
— AFL (@AFL) September 6, 2024
“We’ve got Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards and Sam Darcy … we are confident all three will get done,” Bains said. “All three of them want to sign.”
“There is the lineage of Sam and his father and his grandfather. The club means a lot to him and he means a lot to us.”
The Bulldogs are open to different outcomes for a potential Darcy deal, either locking in a two-year contract or pushing it out over four years.
“There are a lot of different variables which can determine the length of a contract,” Bains said. “Sam obviously has a lot of talent. With a young key position player, it is hard to forecast exactly how good they will be (by the end of a deal).
“You could do a longer contract and build in protections, or do a shorter contract and reassess it.
“(List and recruiting manager) Sam Power is a very capable man and he will take care of all those three players, who have the same manager, which makes it easier.”
Darcy has returned from several weeks in Europe with some teammates and is looking forward to getting back into pre-season training next week.
“We strung together some good patches of form and hope we can carry that through to next year,” he said. “I just want to keep building on the foundations I set up last year and put in a big pre-season to hopefully set myself up for success in 2025.”
DOGS SET AMBITIOUS CROWD TARGET FOR MILESTONE MATCH
The Western Bulldogs are targeting their highest home and away crowd in a one-off MCG home game against Collingwood in round 2 next year to mark the 100th anniversary of the club joining the VFL-AFL competition.
The Herald Sun can confirm Luke Beveridge’s Bulldogs will take on the Magpies in a prime-time clash on Friday, March 21, with chief executive Ameet Bains saying the game would give members a chance to honour the past while looking expectantly to the future.
The Bulldogs are hopeful this round 2 clash could smash the club’s previous home and away crowd record, with the aim to surpass their biggest away crowd of 68,447 against Richmond in 1974, and their biggest home crowd of 58,997 against Collingwood in 1993.
It comes as Bains expressed the club’s strong faith in Beveridge as the senior coach as he prepares to enter the last year of his current contract.
In a wide-ranging interview with this masthead, Bains also confirmed the Bulldogs:
• Were expecting a round 1 home clash at Marvel Stadium to commence the 2025 season
• Recently secured a new deal to play two AFL games and one AFLW game per season in Ballarat, replacing the recently-expired arrangement
• Were targeting 70,000 members for the first time in the club’s history, having had a third consecutive season of records this year, with 62,000 members.
• Planned a year-long celebration of its 1925 entry to the competition along with Hawthorn and North Melbourne, which included key events involving past players, members and even a book to commemorate the occasion.
Bains said: “As an entire club, we are very excited to celebrate our 100-year anniversary next year with our fans, members, staff and players.”
“While we absolutely love playing our Melbourne home games at Marvel Stadium and remain committed to doing so, this one-off MCG home game provides a unique opportunity to acknowledge a significant milestone for our club.
“Being on footy’s biggest stage in a premier timeslot is something we all relish and it gives us a wonderful opportunity to surpass our largest home-and-away crowd figure (68,447) from 1974.
“We got a taste of it with almost 98,000 fans (at the MCG) this year for the elimination final (against Hawthorn), notwithstanding it was a disappointing result for us.”
Bains said there had not yet been a discussion on a possible new deal for Beveridge, who will enter his 11th season as Bulldogs coach next year.
“Everyone has been on leave, whether they were overseas or interstate, including the coach, but the football program is back on November 18, and we will look to pick up a range of different discussions at that point,” Bains said.
“Clearly, he has been the club’s most successful coach in our history. Even looking at last year, when things were a bit awry at 3-5, under his leadership and the other coaches, and the playing group, we managed to turn the season around.
“There is definitely confidence in him going forward and he is contracted until the end of next year. We will turn our mind to everything at that point in time.”
Bains was buoyant about the club’s 2025 prospects, which he hopes can result in strong on-field performances, but also a fourth straight year of record membership.
“Whether it’s 1924, 2024 or 100 years from now, our club always strives to inspire our members and fans to feel a genuine sense of belonging and pride in being an integral part of our Bulldogs family,” he said.
“After another record-breaking membership year in 2024 we’re aiming to hit 70,000 members in 2025, which would be an appropriately historic achievement.”
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