Pendlebury is already the longest-serving Magpies captain. Football department chief Graham Wright has said Pendlebury and new coach Craig McRaewill make a call together on this. The Magpies have strong options in Taylor Adams,Jeremy Howe,Steele Sidebottom and Darcy Moore.
Greater Western Sydney skipper Stephen Coniglio has had form issues in his two years in charge,and there are officials from the Giants and other AFL clubs wondering if it would be best if he was free of the top leadership role and simply concentrated on again becoming one of the league’s best midfielders.
Coniglio,keen to retain the captaincy,still has five years remaining on his seven-year contract. Josh Kelly and Toby Greene are captaincy options,having deputised for Coniglio.
Blight,who famously made a hard call on Tony McGuinness when at Adelaide,said the right call was for Coniglio to step down.
“That would be a much easier conversation[than with Selwood or Pendlebury] … I think that one you probably steer him[Coniglio],and he might think that anyhow,but you would steer him to get back to good playing form,take some responsibility off him and just play,” Blight said.
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New Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has not publicly guaranteed that Ben McEvoy will retain the captaincy next season. McEvoy took charge this year under Alastair Clarkson,in what some perceived as a knock on the leadership growth of prime movers Jaeger O’Meara and Tom Mitchell.
Dyson Heppell had a fine year in a team and individual sense for Essendon. He flourished in new role as a rebounding half-back and claimed Essendon’s most courageous award in a year when the Bombers returned to the finals. He appears almost certain to retain the captaincy but,turning 30 in May,the Bombers are preparing for succession at some point. InZach Merrett and Andy McGrath,they have options.
Three clubs with co-captains will also debate change. Carlton have had Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty share the top role butDocherty is again fighting cancer. There are Blues officials who prefer the one-captain model and would like to have Cripps,now a seasoned campaigner,fulfil that.
Gold Coast had another underwhelming year under the hard-nosed David Swallow and ruckman Jarrod Witts,but the latter was restricted to three matches because of injury. New football department head Wayne Campbell will assess the leadership as part of his remit.
Jack Steele had a superb year as St Kilda co-captain,claiming the club’s best and fairest and earning All-Australian selection.
He is ready to hold the top role outright which could allow Jarryn Geary,restricted to only three matches this season because of injury,to focus on his game in what is likely to be his final year playing.
Blight has never been a fan of the co-captaincy model,as he believes it can fuel confusion as to who is the figurehead and who takes responsibility in tough times.
“I always reckon there is one person in charge. I have always thought that,” Blight said.
Port Adelaide will also have to make a call on Tom Jonas,and whetherBrownlow medallist Ollie Wines,who was co-captain in 2019,is ready to return to the top role.
Captaincy claims
Confirmed change:
Richmond: Trent Cotchin
Will there be change?
Geelong: Joel Selwood
Collingwood: Scott Pendlebury
Greater Western Sydney: Stephen Coniglio
Essendon: Dyson Heppell
St Kilda: Jarryn Geary,Jack Steele
Carlton: Sam Docherty,Patrick Cripps
Hawthorn: Ben McEvoy
Gold Coast: Jarrod Witts,David Swallow
Port Adelaide: Tom Jonas
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