There are question marks on a number of AFL captains heading into the 2023 season.
Scott Pendlebury stepped down at Collingwood this week leaving a fairly significant hole in their leadership at the pointy end.
As his long tenure ends and with several other captains recently parting ways, including Geelong’s Joel Selwood, there could be plenty of captaincy changes prior to the new campaign.
Each club has their own way of appointing a captain, or captains, with some waiting until early in the next year to complete the process while others push ahead with who is presiding at the time.
We’ve gone through each of the 18 AFL clubs to run the eye over their captaincy status.
Current captain: Rory Sloane
Rory Sloane currently holds the role but CEO Tim Silvers said a final decision will be made in February.
CROWS FLOAT DATE FOR CAPTAINCY DECISION
Sloane has held the role since 2019, solely since 2020, but is 33 early next year and is recovering from an ACL.
Could the Crows move on from him early next year?
Top candidates: Tom Doedee, Jordan Dawson, Brodie Smith
Current captain: Dayne Zorko
“Dayne Zorko might very well continue, but at the age of 33 they might make a similar decision to what they did at Collingwood with Pendlebury,” says SEN’s Sam Edmund.
Zorko has held the role since taking it from Dayne Beams in 2018.
He has performed well as captain, aside from recently getting himself in trouble with some on-field sledging.
There are some quality candidates waiting in the wings if the Lions do look elsewhere.
Top candidates: Harris Andrews, Hugh McCluggage, Lachie Neale
Current captain: Patrick Cripps
Patrick Cripps is set in the role.
The reigning Brownlow Medallist took over the Carlton captaincy alongside Sam Docherty in late 2018, before stepping into the job solo prior to the 2022 season.
Captaincy suits him well.
Current captain: Vacant
Scott Pendlebury stepped down as captain earlier this week after a club-record 206 games in the job.
COLLINGWOOD STAR SCOTT PENDLEBURY STEPS DOWN AS CAPTAIN
“I think it’s a good move to go to someone who is a bit younger but who will have Pendles’ support the whole way,” former Magpie Scott Cummings said on SEN WA.
“I reckon the standout is Jack Crisp, who won the best and fairest again (in 2022). I reckon he’s the man, the boys love him and he’s got a bit of personality about him too.
“Taylor Adams is a terrific leader but has injury concerns. You want your captain out on the park.
“I’m not sure Darcy Moore is the man. I think Darcy is a player that just needs to be Darcy.
“Brayden Maynard is a player that would kill for his teammates. He’s the one that everybody would want on their side. But I just think he’d be too loose for captaincy material.”
The next Magpies skipper provides plenty of intrigue.
Could Craig McRae go with co-captains considering there are plenty of candidates?
Top candidates: Darcy Moore, Taylor Adams, Jeremy Howe, Brayden Maynard, Jack Crisp
Current captain: Dyson Heppell
Dyson Heppell has held the job since early 2017, but his individual form waned in 2022, raising questions.
The Bombers could perhaps look for a change with new coach Brad Scott at the helm.
“Dyson Heppell was set to move to Gold Coast before the goal posts shifted on him there so you’d think there might be a change, especially with a new coach coming in,” said Edmund.
Paul Hasleby added: “I’ve got this theory that with a new coach (Brad Scott) coming in, just align yourself with a new and young captain and take them forward.
“I reckon Dyson is probably in trouble.
“His replacement? It could be Zach Merrett.”
Top candidates: Zach Merrett, Andrew McGrath, Jordan Ridley
Current captain: Nat Fyfe
Two-time Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe has been Fremantle captain since 2017.
Edmund asked: “Nat Fyfe is nearly 32. Played seven games last season and 15 and 14 before that. Can you be captain if you’re not out there as much?
“Obviously with Andrew Brayshaw coming on and being some sort of player (and leader), there could be change.”
Former Fremantle midfielder Hasleby added: “I don’t think I would select Nathan Fyfe, not because he hasn’t done ok in the role, it’s just because there are other guys there.
“One (Brayshaw) is the MVP of the competition given by the players. That’s serious.
“You’ve got Alex Pearce who has held the job when Fyfe has been out. He could do it for a year or two if you didn’t think that Brayshaw was ready.
“Brayshaw is the one you wait for as he has leadership written all over him.”
Hasleby asked: “Could it be Caleb Serong and Brayshaw?”
Scott Cummings replied: “Absolutely.
“They could share the load, but it is early for them.”
Top candidates: Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Alex Pearce
Current captain: Vacant
The Cats are looking to fill the void left by the retirement of arguably the club’s greatest ever captain Joel Selwood.
There are several key candidates including joint vice-captains Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart.
Dangerfield is 32, Stewart is 29. Could the decision be based on age?
Other than that pair, Mark Blicavs and Mitch Duncan are obviously in the mix while Tom Atkins could be a left-field option for the future.
Top candidates: Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Stewart
Current co-captains: Jarrod Witts and Touk Miller
Star midfielder Touk Miller stepped into the role alongside ruckman Jarrod Witts last season.
Witts has been in the job for four seasons now.
The current pair appears to be the way forward for the Suns for the time being.
Vice-captain Sam Collins is a fall-back option if they opt to change things up, which seems unlikely.
Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell appear to be captains of the future.
Current co-captains: Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly
The Giants have had one season of three joint captains, but could that change with a new coach in Adam Kingsley now there?
Edmund asked: “Will GWS streamline things and go down to one captain with Adam Kingsley coming in?
“He strikes me more as an older school operator. So will they just go with Toby Greene as opposed to Greene, Kelly and Coniglio?”
Coniglio has been Giants skipper since 2020, spending two years as sole skipper. His position had been questioned but he was back to his best in 2022 with Greene and Kelly alongside him in the main leadership role.
Kelly did nothing wrong this year to warrant being dumped while Greene is clearly the club’s spiritual leader.
Current captain: Vacant
Ben McEvoy retired at the end of last season so the Hawks must now replace him.
It seems as though James Sicily is a lock for the job now that Jaeger O’Meara has left the club.
Top candidate: James Sicily
Current captain: Max Gawn
Max Gawn led the club to the drought-breaking 2021 premiership and is not about to relinquish the role anytime soon.
The All-Australian ruckman has been Demons skipper side 2020 and is likely to continue on in the role for the foreseeable future.
Current captain: Jack Ziebell
Edmund asked: “Does Jack Ziebell make way for Jy Simpkin at North Melbourne?”
“Alastair Clarkson will make a change there, surely,” added Hasleby.
“Jy Simpkin could be the one.”
If new coach Alastair Clarkson is to make a captaincy change, it is expected that Jy Simpkin will take over from Jack Ziebell.
Ziebell has been in the role since 2017.
Top candidates: Jy Simpkin, Luke McDonald, Nick Larkey
Current captain: Tom Jonas
Key defender Tom Jonas is Port’s current captain.
He has been in the role since 2019 when co-captain with Ollie Wines, before taking the role solo in 2020.
Jonas, 31, is expected to remain in the job for at least the next season or two.
But could 28-year-old Wines return to the job after Jonas’ stint?
Current co-captains: Dylan Grimes and Toby Nankervis
The Tigers only made a captaincy change earlier this year with Dylan Grimes and Toby Nankervis taking over following Trent Cotchin’s success-laden era as skipper.
That is likely to be the captaincy setup for a few more seasons at least.
Nick Vlastuin is considered a future captain and could one day hold down the role if the Tigers make a change in the coming years.
Current captain: Jack Steele
Tenacious and courageous midfielder Jack Steele has been in the job for two seasons, sharing 2021 with Jarryn Geary before taking over in his own right.
Unless something drastic occurs under the returning Ross Lyon, Steele should continue with the C next to his name for some time yet.
Current co-captains: Dane Rampe, Luke Parker and Callum Mills
The Swans love having joint captains and have done so since 2005, apart from the two seasons when Josh Kennedy held the position on his own in 2017-18.
Dane Rampe and Luke Parker continue to lead superbly while Callum Mills enjoyed a career-best year in his first as joint skipper.
Nothing to see here for a few years perhaps.
Current captain: Luke Shuey
Midfielder Luke Shuey has held the title since 2020 after taking over from Shannon Hurn.
There have been some questions raised about Shuey’s captaincy, primarily due to the fact he has battled soft tissue injuries in recent years.
“Luke Shuey struggles to get out there and is 32 years of age,” said Edmund
Hasleby said further: “12 months ago Shuey was Nathan Fyfe with all the injuries but he did get a bit of a body work going last season.
“But is it enough for him to hold the captaincy?”
Former Eagle Cummings replied: “I don’t know Shuey but the feeling I get and the cues I take from the visuals I see is he is that leader who will get around everyone and gee them on.
“I see stuff where you say ‘that’s a captain’, but again you’ve got to go back to the point where you want your captain out on the park.”
Hasleby: “I think they’ve got a good replacement in Tom Barrass. He was unbelievable last season.
“Quirky, smart, articulate, but a full-back. Although Darren Glass was a good captain.”
There are a few candidates for the Eagles, including Nic Naitanui and Jeremy McGovern, but they are already in their 30s.
Tom Barrass, 27, and Oscar Allen, 23, could be next in line after Shuey.
Top candidates: Tom Barrass, Oscar Allen
Current captain: Marcus Bontempelli
The Bont has done a superb job since 2020 and is in no hurry to relinquish the position.
At just 27, Bontempelli will likely be captain of the Bulldogs for at least another four or five years.