Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli has signed a four-year extension with the club.
Triple M and Channel Seven journalist Tom Browne first reported on Tuesday afternoon that the star midfielder has re-signed at the Kennel for four more seasons.
The Western Bulldogs have since confirmed Bontempelli's new deal in a statement.
“Ultimately, I see this club doing some really good things over the next four years – and hopefully longer,” Bontempelli told westernbulldogs.com.au.
“I’m keen to be as much a part of that as I can be.”
“I always wanted to stay a Bulldog. It was important for me to take the appropriate time with this decision and to have the right conversations before re-signing. It’s pleasing to know I’ll continue to be part of the journey at this football club.”
Originally set to be one of the biggest names to hit free agency at season's end, the 25-year old will instead remain in the red, white and blue until at least the end of 2025.
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Rival clubs will now turn their attention to the likes of Zach Merrett, Jack Billings and potentially Josh Kelly in free agency, with Patrick Cripps expected to pen his own four-year extension with Carlton.
It was seemingly a no-brainer decision for Bontempelli, with the Bulldogs currently sitting first on the ladder with a 9-1 record, coming off a dominant 111-point win over St Kilda last weekend.
“It is an exciting time. The thing that makes great teams great is their willingness to play for the team, play their role, do the challenging and difficult things – and then hopefully we all succeed together,” Bontempelli said.
“There’s talent within the group which is I think somewhat clear.
“But the appetite to make the most of it and not rely on it has been a key focus for us. It’s probably seen us make a bit of a shift and a jump this year from last season.
“There’s definitely an excitement and hopefully a little bit of magic in the air for us to continue to explore.”
Bontempelli is enjoying another superb season and is currently the Brownlow Medal favourite, averaging 26.7 disposals, 7.2 inside 50s and booting a total of 15 goals.
The former Pick 4 has played 155 AFL games since making his debut in 2014 and is a 2016 premiership player, three-time All Australian and three-time best and fairest winner.