Mitch Wallis says Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli is ‘made for the job’

He was an overwhelming choice to take over the reigns as Western Bulldogs captain and Mitch Wallis expects Marcus Bontempelli to thrive in the role – and take the team with him.

Bontempelli was voted nearly unanimously as skipper.

Western Bulldogs midfielder Mitch Wallis has declared new captain Marcus Bontempelli “made for the job” and expects the club champion to thrive in the leadership role.

As he lauded the team's new-look leadership, Wallis said the Bulldogs were in a "really good space" for their 2020 campaign and had the belief they could match it with the best in the league next season.

The Bulldogs last week named Bontempelli as Easton Wood's successor as captain with Lachie Hunter to be his deputy in a six-man leadership group.

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Mitch Wallis believes ‘The Bont’ is the right man for the job.

Wallis said Bontempelli, who this year won his third club best and fairest award, was an overwhelming choice as captain across the playing group and was ready to lead.

“It was nearly unanimous across the group that Marcus was going to be captain because he is obviously a great player but he is very humble among the group and people look up to him and idolise him as a player and as a person,” Wallis said.

“He was made for the job and I'm sure he is going to thrive in it.

“He is definitely one to lead by example on the field and obviously in important and crucial parts of the game he is probably the one to put his hand up and drag the team over the line but also the way that he trains, his meal prep, his weights, everything he does around the footy club, he is a total professional.

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“But also he cares for every individual and takes the time out to talk to the first player on the list and the 44th player on the list. So he is a great captain to have and I'm sure that he is going to thrive in that role.”

Wallis is again a member of the club's leadership group, which also includes Wood, Jason Johannisen and new addition Josh Dunkley.

The leadership change comes after the Bulldogs finished seventh in 2019, bowing out in an elimination final loss to eventual grand finalists Greater Western Sydney.

Wallis, on the comeback trail from ankle surgery that cruelled his season, was confident the team could take another step forward to challenge the competition's pacesetters.

Marcus Bontempelli took his game to another level last season. Picture: Michael Klein

“I think we are in a really good space at the moment,” Wallis said.

“We've recruited a couple of key players over the off-season and then got three new kids through the draft so from a list point of view we've given ourselves every chance to be right in it going forward for the next patch of time.

“There is a long way to go but there is a lot of belief that we can take it up to the best teams in the competition and win more often than not.”

The Bulldogs recruited former St Kilda forward Josh Bruce and defender Alex Keath from the Crows during this year's trade period.