MARCUS Bontempelli looms as the next captain of the Western Bulldogs after he was elevated to club's leadership group in just his third season in the AFL.

The 20-year-old has shown great maturity across his 37-career games and was voted in by his teammates to support re-elected skipper Robert Murphy, new vice-captain Easton Wood and veterans Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris.

Murphy said he was delighted to retain the captaincy in the knowledge the up-and-coming Dogs had plenty of young leaders waiting in the wings.

"It’s an honour to lead the club, it’s been an honour of mine to play for the club for a long time,” Murphy, the 2015 All Australian captain told the club's website



"To run out and lead these guys every week is something that is very special.

"They’re (Wood and Bontempelli) high quality people, great players, and I think they really capture a lot of the spirit of the team and the club at the moment."

Last year's vice-captain Jordan Roughead and Tom Liberatore, who is returning from a knee reconstruction, were the two omissions from the 2015 five-man leadership group.