Injury concern for Western Bulldogs star revealed…
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli reportedly left the track due to an ankle issue just three days out from the club’s clash with Adelaide.
Bontempelli has shaken off illness and a back issue to play all 20 games so far this season in the red, white and blue, with the star midfielder having not missed a game since the opening half of the 2022 season.
Some of the 28-year-old’s best games this year have come when Bontempelli was either in doubt or hampered in the build-up to the weekend, proving his durability moreso this year.
The Dogs skipper now needs to overcome ankle soreness to play this weekend, with 7 News’ Theor Doropoulos revealing that Bontempelli left Thursday’s training session due to the ailment.
While Bontempelli is expected to face the Crows, he will need to prove his fitness at Saturday’s captain’s run ahead of the Bulldogs’ bout with Adelaide in South Australia.
In the event of Bontempelli’s absence, it would be a significant blow to the Dogs’ September pursuit given his reign as the club’s star onballer. The Bulldogs will carry a four-game win streak into Sunday’s affair to sit seventh on the ladder.
A loss at Adelaide Oval could see Luke Beveridge’s side slide as low as 10th on the ladder by the end of the weekend.
Beveridge currently isn’t facing any forced changes for Round 22, having got through last Friday’s victory over Melbourne unscathed. The form of Jack Macrae, Ryley Sanders, Oskar Baker and Harvey Gallagher in the VFL may not be enough to see the Dogs make any changes for this weekend.
It could mean the Dogs go unchanged for the second consecutive week as they look to continue their late-season purple patch.
“It’ll just depend on opportunities really,” Beveridge told media on Tuesday.
“With the guys who played well in that midfield group who beat Casey; Jack, Ryley Sanders and Harvey Gallagher were very, very influential. They haven’t done their selection opportunity any harm
“They’ll just be biding their time, waiting for a spot. We’re really happy with the way the boys have gone.
“It was unusual we picked the same 26 last week that we had against Sydney (the week prior), including the emergencies. I don’t think we’ve ever done that in my journey here. That was a positive.”
