AFL star Bontempelli has emergency surgery
The Western Bulldogs have suffered a blow with young star Marcus Bontempelli to miss up to three games after having his appendix removed.
www.sbs.com.auHere’s the latest available on Marcus Bontempelli:
-
Injury updates in early 2025 indicated a complex calf injury with tendon involvement, leading to a conservative rehab plan and an expected hiatus of about six weeks. This was followed by reports in April 2025 that he was on track to return for a Round 6 match after fitness testing and training progress. However, earlier pre-season updates suggested a longer initial layoff due to the injury’s nature.[1][2][4]
-
Throughout 2025, there were intermittent notes about potential returns and timing as the Bulldogs managed his rehab, with occasional speculation about match readiness around Gather Round and ongoing reconditioning.[2][3]
-
In 2026, there are scattered mentions of Bontempelli dealing with a back issue during training, which could affect availability for a round, though specific match dates and outcomes aren’t confirmed in the sources I have on file.[6]
If you’d like, I can pull fresh, up-to-the-minute results from current AFL coverage or Western Bulldogs updates and summarize any new developments with exact dates and recovery timelines.