By Justin Chadwick
Luke Shuey will skipper West Coast for a fourth straight AFL season, but Nic Naitanui has passed on the vice-captaincy baton to Tom Barrass.
The Eagles announced their leadership structure on Tuesday, with 32-year-old Shuey “overwhelmingly” supported by the player group to continue on as captain.
Luke Shuey has been picked to captain the West Coast Eagles for a fourth consecutive season.Credit:Paul Kane/Getty Images
Shuey’s first two seasons as captain were plagued by soft tissue injuries, but he managed to string 13 consecutive games together to finish off last year to show his body can still handle the rigours of elite football.
Jeremy McGovern has retained his role as one of the two vice-captains, but Naitanui decided to step down from an official leadership role in order to concentrate on his football.
Naitanui, who was restricted to just eight games last year, will instead mentor the club’s younger players in an informal role, with Barrass stepping into his shoes as joint vice-captain.
Barrass won the club’s best and fairest award last year after producing a career-best season that almost won him a spot in the All-Australian side.
The 27-year-old defender has been tipped to become West Coast’s next captain, and his elevation is a strong sign that the club view him in the same light.
Oscar Allen looms as another strong captaincy contender in future years.
Shuey’s popularity among the West Coast player group wasn’t dented by last year’s horror 2-20 campaign, and his teammates were keen for him to continue on as skipper.
“Luke has enjoyed strong support from the player group over the last three years and that sentiment carried through in the process this season,” West Coast general manager of football Gavin Bell said in a statement.
“He was keen to continue in the role and we are delighted he will remain as captain.
“Jeremy has been a vice-captain to Luke for each of the last three years and he has been joined by Tom who has demonstrated his leadership qualities, both on and off-field, for several years.”
AAP
