Noah Anderson on what it’s like at your first AFL Captain’s Day

Sitting alongside your idols as they talk about the future of the AFL is a eye-opening experience. Noah Anderson takes Scott Gullan inside what it’s like to be at your first AFL Captain’s Day.

As the big dogs sat down and started to chit chat with the AFL’s top brass, Noah Anderson slunk further into his seat.

He was having a fanboy moment given that some of the players in his presence at the intimate dinner at Lamaro’s Restaurant in South Melbourne on Sunday night had been his heroes.

The fact the Gold Coast Suns star midfielder was now a member of the exclusive AFL captains club and was being wined and dined by the league the night before an all-in photo shoot standing around the premiership cup, was taking a while to sink in.

Anderson, 24, was the only newbie in the 2025 captain’s call and he felt every bit the wide-eyed rookie.

Gold Coast suns skipper Noah Anderson at his first captain’s day on Monday. Picture: Michael Klein

“I’m still at the age where I watched most of these guys when I was pretty young growing up so it does still feel a little bit weird,” he says.

“Like just being in the room with them, there’s a little bit of impostor syndrome.”

“But they are all so friendly, welcoming and understanding as well. I spent most of the night listening and trying to get a scope on everything.

“I sat on a few different tables, they separated us then we had a talk, most casual and then there were a couple of topics of conversation they wanted us to talk about.”

Did he offer his thoughts?

“Not really,” he says with a laugh. “I left that to some of the elder captains in the group, maybe in a few years time. I’m still learning what it is all about really in those environments.”

“I understand that I’m in a unique position and very lucky to be still 24 and to be a captain is something pretty cool.

“It’s going to give me a lot of time to learn and develop myself as a leader and what that looks like in two to five to 10 years.

Anderson is the youngest captain in the AFL. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

“I understand I’m not the finished product right now and probably never will be but keep working towards how I can help the group which I feel like I am in position to do right now.”

Anderson replaced Jarrod Witts and Touk Miller who had been co-captains of the Suns for the last three years. He grew up a Richmond fan so has looked a lot at Trent Cotchin’s leadership style.

“I used to love Cotch growing up and what they were able to do specifically in 2017, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20 … and now Dimma’s (Damien Hardwick) my coach and I’m the captain. I still have to pinch myself a little bit.”

Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli remembers when he was the rookie and made a bad wardrobe choice at captain’s day.

“I was also 24 and I see the video pop up every now and again and I spew because of the timing of it,” he says. “I must have showered and got changed as I was in this New Jersey Devils, some retro T-shirt, and I just remember going, why was I the only one in my casual clothes.

“For whatever reason I must have rapt up early, then got changed and not known how to dress properly.

Noah Anderson sitting alongside the rest of the AFL’s captains. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

“So I spew about that because it looks a bit casual, a little bit tacky.”

In an interesting sidenote, Bontempelli shared his embarrassing moment with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan who was staying at his house. The young forward hadn’t joined the Dogs yet but was training at Whitten Oval as part of a placement through the club’s Next Generation Academy.

“He was staying with me and it was so funny that he was a part of that experience with me,” Bontempelli said. “I don’t know why it sticks out in my mind, just timing wise that he saw me become captain for the first time.”

Max Gawn made his debut at captain’s day as a fill-in when Jack Viney and Nathan Jones were both injured.

“I came in 2019 when I wasn’t captain because Jack Viney and Nathan Jones were both injured, I thought that’s why you had two captains so if one misses you definitely had one to go,” Gawn said.

“So I had a warm-up period in 2019 so in 2020 I was sort of used to it then.”

The Melbourne ruckman said he understood the rookie nerves Anderson was feeling.

“When I was first in there, the leaders were Pendles (Scott Pendlebury), Trent Cotchin, Joel Selwood, some pretty cool names there.

“I’m sure Noah is thinking that with Bont, (Patrick) Cripps just seeing these big dogs. It is quite an intimidating thing to walk into.”

Originally published as Noah Anderson on what it’s like at your first AFL Captain’s Day