Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli is hopeful that three of his big-name teammates will re-sign with the club despite the ends of their contracts looming.
Midfield star Bailey Smith, athletic forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and ruckman Tim English are three blue-chip Bulldogs off contract next season as a squeeze on the Bulldogs’ salary cap looms.
Bontempelli, determined to ensure the Bulldogs rebound after missing the finals this year, said he was “very hopeful” the trio would re-sign.
“It’s part of the process, whether it gets close to free agency, all those things, you have to go through the process to work out what your future looks like, the long term and the short term,” he said.
“I know that they all really love the football club. They all have deep roots to making it a successful club. That’s all you can really go on. You are here for anything they want to talk about, or to be there for them. But it’s really part of their own journey, part of your journey to help support them through it, but I am pretty confident they all really love playing for the football club. Hopefully, they do want to stay around for a long time.”
After an indifferent 2023 campaign, where he admitted to struggling to deal with coach Luke Beveridge’s decision to have him spend more time forward, Smith has already begun an intense off-season training program.
Bontempelli said Smith, who was in good spirits when he stepped out with partner Gemma Dawkins in the Birdcage on Derby Day, was aiming to be a consistent midfield force.
“I do think so. He has all the traits to play in that part of the ground more consistently. He, like any athlete, would have felt like he didn’t quite get exactly what he feels like he knows he is capable of,” Bontempelli said.
“That’s what you always want, players around you who feel like they can be contributing more, and helping you in different ways.
“You can’t really ask more of a teammate in that sense and, it looks like, from what I can tell, he is working his butt off to make sure he is raring to go come pre-season time.”
