The Bont v Cripps: a free agent gap opens up

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One experienced football official from a rival club, asked what Cripps was worth compared with Bontempelli, said: “Definitely not as much. Because Bont gets so much outside [ball]. Cripps doesn’t.” He guessed that the gap would be at least $200,000 per annum, with Bontempelli obviously able to earn more than $1m a year.

For the Bulldogs, the contract discussions with Bontempelli will be shaped by what the skipper wants, both in terms of quantum of dollars and the length. It is conceivable, too, that Bontempelli might not want the new superstar standard of a very long deal of more than five years, such as that signed by Melbourne’s Christian Petracca (seven years).

While other clubs with a pressing need for an inside player would still see value in Cripps, it is hard to see him gaining one of those mega deals, such as Petracca’s.

In part, Cripps is a victim of his own combative style, and the longstanding lack of a supporting cast – barring the astonishing Sam Walsh.

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Cripps, above all, has carried both a team and some injuries, such as stress fractures in his back, while smoother Marcus has been blessed with teammates that share some of his talents (Jack Macrae being the main ally).

Bontempelli, indeed, rivals or almost surpasses Dusty for durability. He has missed only three games in the past five years and only once – in 2018 – has Bont not played for consecutive games.

The most marked difference between Bontempelli and Cripps is, as that club official put it, on the outside, Bontempelli having averaged a remarkable 598 metres per game, with a kicking efficiency of 65 per cent. Bont has had the lowest proportion of contested possessions – just 37 per cent in 2021 – in his career, yet has inflicted greater damage (7.9 average score involvements, 1.1 goals per game).

Carlton, though, won’t have lost faith in their skipper. If they mightn’t offer him what he was worth in 2019, they can be counted on to back Cripps to regain his footing. While he’s no longer shoulder to shoulder with the Bont, he’s still a formidable inside warrior, even in a game that’s developing a bias towards those with an outside gear.