New North Adelaide Football Club captain Alex Spina “bullish” about Roosters’ chances in 2020
North Adelaide has unveiled its new captain, and the incoming skipper says the current Roosters’ list is “head and shoulders” the best he’s seen at Prospect Oval.
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New North Adelaide captain Alex Spina says the club’s 2020 list is the strongest he has seen in his time at Prospect Oval.
The 24-year-old was unveiled on Wednesday as Roosters skipper to take over from retired 2018 premiership leader Max Thring.
Spina’s appointment, along with that of new head coach Jacob Surjan, heralds a fresh start for the club as it prepares to respond to last year’s disappointing ninth-placed finish.
And the midfielder was bullish about North’s chances for the upcoming campaign.
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“It’s a massive honour to lead this club and this group – I’m still getting my head around it really,” said Spina, who served as vice-captain the past two seasons.
“I think this is head and shoulders the best list while I’ve been a part of the club.
“Last year we lost a few players, and probably didn’t recruit as well as we maybe could have and a few injuries at the start of the year tested our depth a fair bit.
“Within our four walls we’re confident we can push back up.
“We’re quite bullish, but we know a lot of the other teams recruited well and they’re going to improve.”
The Roosters were active in the off-season, luring former Hawthorn and North Melbourne speedster Billy Hartung and Box Hill premiership captain Andrew Moore, as well as enticing back former players Robbie Young (St Kilda), Harrison Wigg (Gold Coast), Kym Lebois (Carlton) and Cam Hewett (Port Adelaide).
Moore will serve as Spina’s joint vice-captain alongside midfielder Tom Schwarz.
Spina, who spent a season on the Crows’ rookie list in 2014, said he was ready to take on the captaincy, but would lean on his deputies in addition to former skipper Thring.
“I’d never even considered it (the captaincy) until Max had retired, really,” he said.
“Max and I are really good mates.
“I speak to him a fair bit, so I’ll definitely be using him to get some advice along the journey.
“But I’m not trying to change too much.”
Spina said Surjan’s presence at the club, as an established member of the coaching unit, would add to that mood of continuity.
North has trial matches against South Adelaide and Sturt next month before kicking off the season with a Friday night round one clash against Norwood at The Parade on April 3.