{"id":308866,"date":"2025-11-26T01:11:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T01:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/308866\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T01:11:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T01:11:09","slug":"four-essendon-players-who-could-succeed-zach-merrett-as-captain-afl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/308866\/","title":{"rendered":"FOUR Essendon players who could succeed Zach Merrett as captain – AFL News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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After Zach Merrett’s failed move to Hawthorn in the 2025 AFL<\/a> Trade Period, he has officially stood down as Essendon’s skipper after three seasons as captain of the club.<\/p>\n

The question is, who will be the Bombers’ next captain for the future?<\/p>\n

Essendon doesn’t have a standout guy to be the next leader, but they have a few who may be favoured, and a couple of smokey options for the future.<\/p>\n

The next captain of the Bombers will have a key role in developing and helping the Bombers’ young side for the future, and the Bombers need to make sure they don’t have another\u00a0Merrett situation in the near future.<\/p>\n

We look through Essendon’s best options for their next captain for the 2026 season and beyond.<\/p>\n

1Andrew McGrath\u00a0<\/p>\n

The frontrunner to replace Merrett is the Bombers’ current vice-captain, Andrew McGrath<\/a>, drafted by the Bombers with Pick 1 in the 2016 National Draft.<\/p>\n

McGrath has played 180 games across his nine seasons at the Bombers, and has been the side’s vice-captain for the last three seasons.<\/p>\n

He had been a key leader for the Bombers over his career, winning multiple Best Clubman, Staff and Trainers’ Awards, and is clearly valued by his teammates as a respected leader at the club.<\/p>\n

McGrath typically leads from the backline, but because of the Bombers’ injuries last season, he was pushed into the midfield, where he played some of his best football.<\/p>\n

Could we see a midfield led by McGrath as the new captain for the 2026 season?<\/p>\n


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