THE WESTERN Bulldogs have been dealt another massive injury blow on the eve of the season, with captain Marcus Bontempelli ruled out for the next six weeks with a calf injury.

Bontempelli suffered the injury early in Thursday night’s AAMI Community Series win over Hawthorn at University of Tasmania and exited the game due to tightness.

Bontempelli suffered the injury early in Thursday night’s AAMI Community Series win over Hawthorn at University of Tasmania and exited the game due to tightness. 

The 29-year-old underwent scans in Melbourne on Friday afternoon, which have revealed more extensive damage than first thought.

Bontempelli has now been ruled out until after Gather Round at the earliest after suffering a complex injury with tendon damage.

“While the Club was optimistic of a positive result overnight, scans have revealed a complex injury with tendon involvement,” the Bulldogs' medical boss Chris Bell said.
 
“Unfortunately, the structures involved with this particular injury are prone to having recurrent issues so we will need to follow a conservative management timeline to give Marcus the best chance of a successful season.”

Bontempelli last missed a game in round eight, 2022. He's missed a total of eight games since debuting in round five, 2014.

The Bulldogs will enter 2025 without a handful of the club’s most important players, potentially the top five from last year’s Charles Sutton Medal.

Liam Jones (hamstring) and Adam Treloar (calf) aren’t expected to be available in the first month of the season.

Cody Weightman will be sidelined for the first ten rounds of the season after undergoing knee surgery earlier this month.

Ed Richards (calf) and Bailey Dale (quad) are both racing the clock to be fit in time to face North Melbourne in round one.