New South Wales’ two AFL teams have a big challenge on their hands over summer as they attempt to work out captains for the 2026 season.
But they won’t be the only teams pondering a change. Three of the league’s biggest clubs are also potentially due for a shift.
Callum Mills of the Swans will miss most of 2027. AFL Photos
Four clubs have a strong chance for new leadership in 2027, another few will ponder their options and then there’s Sydney in the unique circumstance of needing to temporarily replace Callum Mills, who will miss most of the season with a torn ACL.
Let’s start with the Swans because they are in the most intriguing predicament.
Sydney Swans
What do the Swans do? We’re likely not going to come up with a clean answer here.
Mills is naturally going to miss most of (if not all) the 2027 season given he did his knee in September.
Isaac Heeney is the club’s vice captain, but coming off the Pullman Five saga, it’s difficult to imagine the Swans passing him the baton in 2027.
Even in the best-case scenario for Heeney and his suspended teammates, the PR of making him skipper months after this complicated drama does not compute.
When they needed a captain in the absence of Mills and Heeney in the preliminary final, they turned to Dane Rampe, who captained the club between 2019 and 2023.
However, the defender is yet to even re-sign for 2027 at this stage. Rampe, who will be 37 by the end of next season, is still pondering his own future, let alone the potential burden of captaincy.
Midfielder James Rowbottom was among those who put their hand up to replace Mills for the prelim, before Rampe got the final nod, while Errol Gulden’s rising stardom may make him a potential candidate of a different kind if he wants the role.
There’s no clear-cut answer for the Swans, but they’ve got time over summer to work through their options.
GWS Giants
GWS is in a different boat. They are currently without a captain after Toby Greene departed for Geelong in free agency.
Interestingly, they have two former captains already on their list. Stephen Coniglio helmed the role between 2020 and 2022, and shared the responsibility with Josh Kelly (and Greene) in 2022.
Coniglio however is in the twilight of his career, while Kelly missed the entire 2026 season after complex hip surgery and his future is clouded.
GWS’ Tom Green missed the 2026 season with a torn ACL. AFL Photos via Getty Images
The obvious call for the Giants is going from Greene to Green. Tom Green is a star midfielder of the competition entering his prime and already in the club’s leadership group.
The problem? He’s out of contract at the end of 2027 and has been strongly linked with Tassie. GWS would rightly want to know his plans before making him their skipper, but he may not have an answer before the start of the season.
Green seems to be the clear guy, but the Giants may need a stop-gap for a year. They have been known for having co-captains in the past, and that may be the cleanest way forward for them.
Sam Taylor and Connor Idun have also been in their leadership group for multiple seasons and could be considered.
Collingwood Magpies
Collingwood moving the captaincy from Darcy Moore to Nick Daicos is a matter of when, not if, but 2027 feels like the right time to pull the trigger.
Moore is now in a different stage of his career, struggling with injuries and potentially needing to focus on football and his own health, without the additional responsibilities.
Daicos is the face of the club, the reigning Brownlow Medallist, arguably the best player in the game and a clear, natural leader.
Richmond midfielder Tim Taranto. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Richmond Tigers
The time is also right at Richmond to make the change from Toby Nankervis to Tim Taranto.
Nankervis will be 33 next season and will be part of heavy speculation regarding the Devils, as a Tasmanian local.
The Tigers would be best placed making the switch to the three-time club best and fairest winner in 2027, rather than waiting for the ruckman to leave.
Taranto is clearly their standout player on-field and is closer in age to the army of young Richmond players who will need a long-term leader.
Richmond could keep the status quo and back Nankervis in, despite his likely departure at the end of the year.
Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh. Getty Images
Carlton Blues
Carlton is in an interesting spot. Patrick Cripps is undoubtedly the club’s face and leader and could captain the club until he hangs the boots up in a few years.
But it may benefit him to follow the lead of the likes of Scott Pendlebury and Joel Selwood, who passed on the captaincy in their 30s to focus on their own football.
And Carlton has two clear leaders ready to grab the role as they enter the prime of their career in Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering.
Neither would be a bad choice, but Walsh, who won the club’s best and fairest recently, feels the likely top candidate, should Cripps hand over the reins.
The Blues have a new coach and a relatively new football department. A new captain may be the final move as the club enters a new era.
The other clubs
Adelaide (Jordan Dawson) – Absolutely locked in.
Brisbane (Harris Andrews, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage) – Any combo of one, two or all three.
Essendon (Andrew McGrath) – They don’t really have other options.
Fremantle (Alex Pearce) – Similar to Nankervis, but feels more likely to remain. Brayshaw and Serong both ready if called upon.
Geelong (Patrick Dangerfield) – Will captain Geelong until he retires. No logical young candidate anyway.
Gold Coast (Noah Anderson) – No change. They’ll hope he re-signs, though.
Hawthorn (Jai Newcombe and James Sicily) – Likely better off going to Newcombe solo, but won’t.
Melbourne (Max Gawn) – It’s Gawn’s until he retires.
North Melbourne (Nick Larkey) – Should move to Harry Sheezel in the next year or two, but likely not in 2027.
Port Adelaide (Connor Rozee) – The role is his. Needs to get his body right, though.
St Kilda (Callum Wilkie and Jack Sinclair) – No reason to change and no younger candidates.
West Coast (Liam Baker and Liam Duggan) – Duggan could/should drop out, but they’re in a holding pattern until Harley Reid is ready/committed long-term.
Western Bulldogs (Marcus Bontempelli) – Safe as houses.