By Peter Ryan
North Melbourne will appoint a fresh captain under new coach Alastair Clarkson after Jack Ziebell stood down as captain following six years in the role.
Luke McDonald and Jy Simpkin are the leading candidates for the job, having spent the past two seasons as co-vice captains.
North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell leads his side from the ground in round 10.Credit: Getty Images
The 31-year-old told teammates of his decision on Tuesday having played 111 games as skipper.
Ziebell was appointed captain by then-coach Brad Scott leading into 2017 and served in the role under Scott, Rhyce Shaw, David Noble and caretaker coach Leigh Adams.
The hard-nosed midfielder, who shifted into defence late in his career, said he was a better person for the experience of being captain.
“The captaincy has been an unbelievably rewarding role ... now that I’ve reached the later stages of my career the time has come for me to hand over the reins. I’ll be there to support the next captain in any way I can and I have no doubt the incoming captain will lead our club with purpose and passion,” Ziebell said.
North Melbourne join Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn as clubs looking for new captains in 2023. Adelaide and Essendon are yet to confirm whether their captains will continue in the role in 2023.
• At Carlton, scans have confirmed Jordan Boyd has re-injured an acute fracture in his foot, while Matthew Cottrell is recovering from a navicular stress fracture.
The club confirmed on Tuesday that Boyd was consulting a specialist and is likely to have surgery on Wednesday.
Foot fracture: Carlton’s Jordan Boyd.Credit: Getty Images
Currently wearing a moon boot, Cottrell will return to running once scans show adequate healing has occurred.
“It’s disappointing news for Matthew and Jordan, who have shown an appetite to compete since day one of pre-season,” Carlton head of football Brad Lloyd said.
“We know both players will leave no stone unturned in their recovery. Matthew has already been very diligent in his rehab, and we know Jordan will do the exact same post-surgery.
“We will give both players the required time to recover to ensure they’re in the best possible position to positively impact the team in season 2023.”
• Adelaide’s Paul Seedsman became the second player in as many days to be added to the inactive list as they battle to overcome symptoms related to concussion.
The Brisbane Lions confirmed on Monday that Marcus Adams was “unlikely” to play in 2023 due to concussion and the Crows don’t expect Seedsman to return either. Seedsman missed 2022 due to concussion.
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