Hawthorn has announced Ben McEvoy will captain the club in 2021

Hawthorn has turned to Ben McEvoy to lead the club’s climb up the ladder and the big man has vowed to lead by his actions.

Ben McEvoy is believed to have the backing of players to be Hawthorn captain. Picture: Getty Images

New Hawthorn captain Ben McEvoy has vowed to lead with his actions as he focuses on helping drive the Hawks back up the ladder.

The dual premiership ruckman was unveiled on Friday as the 37th captain of Hawthorn, succeeding the retired Ben Stratton.

After what the club described as a “robust internal process” – working with Leading Teams – the Hawks settled on a one captain and one vice-captain model for 2021.

McEvoy will be supported by vice-captain Jaeger O’Meara, who continues in the position for the second consecutive season.

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Liam Shiels, Jack Gunston, Tom Mitchell and young midfielder James Worpel, the only new addition, round out the club’s leadership group.

McEvoy described his appointment as captain as an “enormous privilege”, but admitted it was not a position he had ever aspired to.

“I feel very privileged and humbled to be here, but it’s not something (the captaincy) that I ever really thought of,” McEvoy said.

“If there’s one thing that I would like to think people say about how I play my footy is it’s always team-first and I’ve always tried to do that.

“I have never aspired to be here but I’m incredibly privileged that I am here.

“I’m a bit uncomfortable about today because it’s me out the front here and the phone has already started going nuts. But when it comes down to it, the work is for all of us so I’m a bit uncomfortable here getting the accolades here today.”

New Hawthorn captain Ben McEvoy with the leadership group: Jaeger O'Meara, Jack gunston, James Worpel, Tom Mitchell and Liam Shiels. Picture: Jake 'Nowakowski

McEvoy has played 131 games for the Hawks since making his debut at the club in 2014 after six years at St Kilda. He was a part of the team’s 2014 and 2015 premierships.

The 200cm ruckman said he intended to lead “with his actions” and his top focus was to drive the improvement to help the Hawks ascend the AFL ladder after slumping to 15th last season.

“We were all really disappointed with where we finished up last year,” he said.

“That’s not really about me, or these five guys standing behind me, it’s equal responsibility on all of us and they are an amazing group of guys.

“It’s on us to try and drive and everyone else to join in to try and improve on last year, which as I said, was a really disappointing year for us.”

The Herald Sun wrote on Thursday that McEvoy had emerged as a bolter in the captaincy race.

O’Meara and Mitchell – who were joint vice-captains last year – and Gunston were long considered the frontrunners to replace Stratton.

However, McEvoy was believed to have polled strongly on Wednesday in player voting.

Stratton’s somewhat-surprise ascension as Jarryd Roughead’s successor in 2019 came on the back of the same prolific player support.

Ben McEvoy is in the mix to be Hawthorn’s next captain. Picture: AAP

McEvoy is the first player to captain Hawthorn after crossing from another club since Keith Shea in 1945.

The 31-year-old’s been a magnificent contributor since St Kilda traded him to the Hawks for Shane Savage and a late first-round draft pick at the end of 2013.

McEvoy immediately became Alastair Clarkson’s No.1 big man and played an integral role in the 2014 and 2015 premierships.

He was in the leadership group for the past two seasons and is one of the most respected members at the club for his high standards and level-headed approach.

McEvoy selflessly accepted a key defensive role late in 2019 that meant Jon Ceglar could spend more time in the ruck, at a time Brisbane was trying to lure him north.

Departed Hawthorn football boss Graham Wright revealed late last year that McEvoy could return to the ruck this coming season, although he’s still trained in defence at times over the summer.

Jaeger O’Meara or Tom Mitchell could step up from the vice-captaincy. Picture: Getty Images

He is contracted until the end of the 2021 season.

The Hawks are a team in transition and finished 15th last year, their lowest ladder placing since 2004, when there were only 16 clubs in the competition.

O’Meara, 26, and Mitchell, 27, still loom large as longer-term captaincy contenders, as comfortably the youngest members of last year’s leadership group, including Liam Shiels, 29.

Another future option might be 2019 Peter Crimmins medallist James Worpel, who captained NAB League club Geelong Falcons and Victoria Country at junior level, but who has only just turned 22.

Clarkson and co. need to decide whether this is a bridging year or if the future is now.

Originally published as Hawthorn has announced Ben McEvoy will captain the club in 2021