WESTERN Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli says his contract talks are “progressing well” with the AFL club, who are waiting for their biggest star to put pen to paper.
Bontempelli has led from the front in the 6-1 Dogs’ hot start to the season, averaging 26 disposals and more than one goal per game.
The 25-year-old qualifies as an unrestricted free agent this year after eight seasons at Whitten Oval.
“The dialogue’s been really good between the club and my manager,” Bontempelli said on Tuesday.
“There’s no real timeline on it … but things are progressing pretty well.
“So without giving you a date, hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.
“But these things obviously just take time and it’s different for everyone, but the good thing is they’re progressing well.”
One possible sticking point is the length of the deal.
Collingwood attracted scrutiny in 2020 for signing Brodie Grundy on a seven-year contract and Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains stated publicly last month that they are hesitant to hand out long-term contracts.
“There’s probably a couple of things that are part of it and, like I said, the dialogue’s been good,” Bontempelli said.
“The discussions are open and it’s just sort of working through it in the right time.
“I won’t run into the specifics of it but I think the most important thing is that the chats are good and they’re going well.
“We’ll continue to progress until we have a result.”
Bontempelli will again be a key to the Bulldogs’ chances of victory when they take on Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
(C) AAP 2021
