Marcus Bontempelli edges towards mega-extension with Bulldogs
Arguably footy’s strangest contract negotiations around Marcus Bontempelli’s future look to be heading to a close, but the future of two other gun midfielders at the Dogs remains a question.
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Marcus Bontempelli is nearing resolution on a new deal likely to be four seasons as Tom Liberatore kickstarts negotiations on another one-year deal in the next fortnight.
But while Adam Treloar is determined to play on next year his talks have been pushed back as he attempts to return in round 24 from a long-running calf complaint.
Bontempelli is about to lock down a new long-term deal on what has been one of footy’s strangest contract negotiations given his total lack of urgency to sign a deal likely worth more than $5 million.
A four-year deal will see him turning 33 in the November before the last season of that deal.
But given his phenomenal durability missing just 12 games across his past 11 seasons he has proven he is worth a deal of that tenure.
All parties are refusing to comment about the contract but Bontempelli remains one of footy’s megastars in a game where new deals for the best players are hitting $1.4 million a season.
Liberatore has continued his rich vein of form this season after a superb comeback last year from four concussions in 12 months that at one stage imperilled his career.
He was in the All-Australian squad last year and was unlucky not to make the final 23 but again has put in a spectacular campaign this year.
The 33-year-old’s camp will hold talks with Dogs list boss Sam Power in coming weeks to tidy up another one-year deal.
Treloar is desperate to play on after his own injury problems have cruelly stopped him in his tracks while coming off a 2024 All-Australian campaign.
He has played only four games but twice pulled up sore with calf concerns, including his most recent series calf complaint.
He is listed as 5-8 weeks away and is determined to push to play in the final home-and-away clash in round 24.
But even a small setback would push his return date out and mean he would likely miss the rest of the season.
The Dogs are desperately hoping they can qualify for September along with their Footscray VFL team, which would give Treloar more chances to return.
The 32-year-old would have hoped for another scintillating season to give him leverage for a lucrative multi-year deal but a one-year contract would seem a more likely outcome.
Treloar has been well paid since moving from GWS to Collingwood – and then onto the Dogs on a $4.5 million deal.
But he is desperately chasing an elusive premiership and will hope he can find a remedy to the calf issues which saw him barely train across summer at Whitten Oval.
Originally published as Marcus Bontempelli edges towards mega-extension with Bulldogs
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