Port Adelaide do away with co-captaincy model after one season
Port Adelaide have scrapped their ridiculed co-captaincy model after just one season, with their 2020 season skipper announced on Friday.
AFL
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Port Adelaide have scrapped their co-captaincy model after just one AFL season following a backlash from supporters.
Defender Tom Jonas will be Port’s sole captain for the 2020 season after sharing the leadership role last season with Ollie Wines.
Port president David Koch says Wines has been “selfless” in accepting the decision, which had been prompted by resistance from fans to having co-captains.
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“The fact is, the people that are most important to us, all the key stakeholders connected to the club, have spoken,” Koch said on Friday.
“Our people have reminded us that some icons cannot be compromised and we understand that.
“It is clear that a one-captain leadership model is best for our club.
“Ollie has demonstrated his leadership skills by being completely selfless during this process and acknowledging that the club is bigger than the individual.”
Wines and Hamish Hartlett will serve as vice-captains to the 28-year-old Jonas. Coach Ken Hinkley said it was clear Jonas had emerged as “the standout leader of our group”.
“The decision was a whole-of-club decision and we have all seen enough of Tom to know that he has the qualities to lead Port Adelaide with distinction,” Hinkley said.
“We have listened to the people.â€
— Reece Homfray (@reecehomfray) December 6, 2019
David Koch confirms one captain for PAFC and it will be Tom Jonas in 2020. Ollie Wines VC. pic.twitter.com/6Lo5JVbN2F
Port Adelaide in 2019: The future of the club is Tom Jonas and Ollie Wines as co-captains.
— Mikey Nicholson (@Mikey_Nicholson) December 6, 2019
Port Adelaide in 2020: The future of the club is Tom Jonas as captain and Ollie Wines as *checks notes* vice-captain. 🤔
Port Adelaide start the 2020 season with an away fixture against Gold Coast on March 21.
SHUEY TO LEAD WEST EAGLES IN 2020
Champion midfielder Luke Shuey will lead West Coast’s AFL premiership assault next season after being appointed Shannon Hurn’s successor as captain. Shuey was a clear choice as skipper after serving as joint vice-captain with star forward Josh Kennedy for the past three years.
The 29-year-old, who has played 201 games for West Coast across ten seasons, won the Eagles’ best-and-fairest award this year and is widely regarded as one of the competition’s top on-ballers.
Shuey claimed the Norm Smith Medal as best afield in the 2018 premiership-winning team under Hurn, who stepped down this week after five years as captain.
“I’ve always wanted to be the best leader I can be, purely just to help this footy club grow and succeed,” Shuey said.
“I said all along if I was to be captain it would have to be the best thing for the footy club. I’m not about being captain just for the title.
“I’m here to help the footy club grow and improve, and hopefully get back to where we were in 2018 after the job Bung (Hurn) did.
“It’s an enormous privilege and one I’m looking forward to.”
A player vote for Shuey to succeed Hurn was endorsed by the club’s board this week.
All-Australian duo Kennedy and Jeremy McGovern will serve as his vice-captains, with the rest of the leadership group to be determined early next year. Shuey is West Coast’s 11th captain.
“He’s ready to go,” Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.
“As much as Shannon’s really carried the load for our group, we’ve got tremendous leaders at our club who’ve developed over a long period of time.
“Luke’s stood up on the big stage. The best leaders care the most and he cares about his mates and he cares about the club.”
Luke Shuey formally announced as â¦â¦@WestCoastEaglesâ© captain.
— Paddy Sweeney (@SweeneyPaddy9) December 6, 2019
Adds role to already impressive CV:
Eagles captain 🦅
Premiership player ðŸ†
Norm Smith Medallist 🎖
2 x Club champion ðŸ…
200 + games ðŸ‰@9NewsPerth #AFL pic.twitter.com/ECrtGzdgpo
Luke Shuey pretty popular pick, & obvious is often good with these things. Too often miscast as a rung below the competition’s elite midfielders
— Corbin Middlemas (@CorbinMiddlemas) December 6, 2019
West Coast open the 2020 AFL season against Melbourne at Optus Stadium on March 22.
Originally published as Port Adelaide do away with co-captaincy model after one season