VFL 2019: Coburg set for new captain after Tom Goodwin’s switch to rival Port Melbourne

Coburg’s captaincy is up for grabs after the departure of three members of its four-man leadership group.

Peter McEvoy is the only member of Coburg’s leadership group left at the VFL club.

Coburg’s captaincy is up for grabs after the departure of three members of its four-man leadership group.

Skipper Tom Goodwin has crossed to Port Melbourne, while fellow leaders Nick Mellington (Williamstown) and Nathan Blair (Romsey) have also moved on.

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Key forward Peter McEvoy, who has spent the past three years at Piranha Park, is the only player from the four-man leadership group who has recommitted for 2019.

“We have got a few boys that have been there for a few years now that have been in our leadership group or will push into our leadership group this year,” coach Leigh Adams said.

“We have got a pretty good idea of a good 5-6 blokes that will make up our leadership group at this stage. Out of that group, anyone could be the captain at this stage.”

McEvoy was announced by the Lions as one of 10 re-signings in August, having played 40 games for Coburg in the past three seasons for a return of 51 goals.

Ryan Exon, Luke Bunker and Jesse Corigliano are highly-rated as leaders by the Lions, while TAC Cup captains Mitch Podhajski (Calder Cannons) and Braedyn Gillard (Northern Knights) are among the club’s recruits for 2019.

Former Bendigo Gold skipper Steve Stroobants, who has joined Coburg as a playing development coach, will add further experience.

Goodwin, who has led the Lions for the past two years, announced he was joining the Borough in October.

Peter McEvoy reels in a contested mark for Coburg.

The ruckman said at the time leaving Coburg “certainly wasn’t an easy decision to make” but added he had “grown stale” and wanted to experience team success.

Fellow big man Mark Kovacevic, who was best on ground in last year’s Northern Football League Division 1 grand final, has also moved on.

Adam Swierzbiolek (199cm) looms as a leading ruck option this season after featuring in six VFL games last year, while developing big man Matthew Harman (200cm) has crossed from Northern Blues.

“We’re having a little bit of a think what we are going to do there in terms of whether we go for a more makeshift ruck set-up or we decide to play some genuine ruckmen in there,” Adams said.

VFL leading possession-winner Marcus Lentini and defender Lochie Dickson, who shared last year’s Jim Sullivan medal, headline the club’s re-signings.

Harry Nolan, Jack Murphy, Sam Lowson, Billy Cannolo, Jackson McDonald, Corigliano and Bunker are others who have put pen to paper.

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