New Port Adelaide board member and inaugural Power captain Gavin Wanganeen masks private feelings on dual AFL skippers at Alberton

Inaugural Power skipper Gavin Wanganeen is avoiding the question of how Port Adelaide sets up its captaincy until he hears the football department’s views at Alberton next week. Tell us who you think should get the gig in our poll.

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Inaugural Port Adelaide AFL skipper Gavin Wanganeen is hiding his personal preference on the vexing questions on the Power captaincy to keep an open mind as he enters the club’s boardroom.

“What I (personally) think is irrelevant,” said Wanganeen, who was elected by the Power members to the club board with a 53 per cent approval rating in the ballot.

“I’m looking at (the captaincy decision) with a different cap now.”

Brownlow Medallist Gavin Wanganeen continued the Port Adelaide tradition of wearing the No. 1 jumper when he returned to Alberton as the Power’s inaugural captain in 1997.

Former Port captain Gavin Wanganeen with his Crows counterpart Mark Bickley ahead of Showdown II.

Wanganeen, who replaced SANFL premiership teammate George Fiacchi on the board, admits he had a view last week when he was not in the Power’s inner sanctum.

Now the 300-game Brownlow Medallist is waiting to assess the Port Adelaide football department’s recommendation on Travis Boak’s successor — and whether it is a solo captain as club tradition demands.

“Next week there will be talks around what the football department would like to do,” Wanganeen said on radio SEN1629 on Monday afternoon.

“Port Adelaide always has had one captain and he always has worn No. 1 ... so the decision will be made very carefully and with a lot of thought.

“And with the best interests of the club as a whole.”

Wanganeen, the Power’s captain from its AFL entry in 1997 to 2001, is eager to learn of the football department’s review of the candidates for the captaincy. These include vice-captain Ollie Wines and defender Tom Jonas.

“The coaching group and football department has a wonderful understanding of the characters and the strengths and weaknesses of our players off the field, which is just as important as the strengths on the field,” Wanganeen said.

“I understand what I have seen (of the Power players) on the field. Off the field, I am coming in a role that will give me an understanding in the next few weeks of what characters we have and what leadership qualities the candidates have.

“And how we are going to make the decision that gets us the right leader or leaders. It is going to be a very interesting process.”

Wanganeen described the members’ strong tone at the club’s annual meeting at Alberton on Friday night as filled with “passion”, particularly on the captaincy issue. The members did not endorse the dual captain theme.

“It is nice to see that passion from the true heart and soul of the football club,” Wanganeen said. “Some of the stuff they talked about was really good.”

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