Opinion Captain in 2026

[DorothyG]

Fair - Hurn and Glass before him were not loud and gregarious types but they were 'when they speak, people listen' types and were highly unlikely to ever put a foot wrong when completing media duties.
It is something Baker will need to work on because at the moment, he comes across as a bit of a 'yeah-nah THE BOYS! LADS! LADS! LADS! yewwwwww!' type which is not going to cut it when fronting the media after a 10 goal loss to Tasmania.

I think the captain needs to also reflect the group.

With such a young group, and almost all of our older mainstay guys gone, I think the guy that reflects the group, but is also extremely relatable to the younger cohort, is probably a reasonable choice.

If you are a young 1-2 year player, and you have issues or things that you would like to discuss, it’s going to be much easier to seek out the relatable and approachable guy, who is also very well respected within the walls, than it is the stuffy, stoic older guy who is, maybe, of a by gone era?

 

[Mulldogg]

Waterman for mine. Baker had a solid first season but isn’t as polished in terms of speaking in the media and I don’t like catapulting a second year player into the club captaincy. Waterman is our first picked forward and seemingly popular with the playing group.

Definitely have Baker as a VC along with Ginbey.

Duggan, Graham and Harley to round out the leadership group.

 

[BSD]

Co captains is a load of wank

Your choice of Duggan is also a load of wank.

 

[RookiePick]

Waterman for mine. Baker had a solid first season but isn’t as polished in terms of speaking in the media and I don’t like catapulting a second year player into the club captaincy. Waterman is our first picked forward and seemingly popular with the playing group.

Definitely have Baker as a VC along with Ginbey.

Duggan, Graham and Harley to round out the leadership group.

The only issue I have with is availability. It's critical our captain is on the park as much as humanly possible.

 

[Farmer Lister]

Yeah premiership captain hurn was famed for his oratory….

Haha even on footage from meeting new recruits over the past couple of years he seems super awkward and he sounds rough as guts. But then I remember hearing this story on coast to coast a few years ago about how he was hanging out with the new recruits having a few beers and they ordered pizza. He went home and cooked himself a steak and came back to hang out with the lads. He didn't need to lecture them about diet, he led by example.

That's a good captain.

 

[rebel23]

Harley

 

[THE A5]

For the record, I actually voted for Duggan.

I reckon he can turn it around after a rough year and if the club back him in to be solo skipper it would be huge for the guy. He deserves some clear air without having to pretend Oscar Allen was doing half the work.

Back him innnn.

Duggan had his faults in 2024 but I thought he was pretty good that year and stood out. He had some really great games that year. In 2025 there weren’t many off those games and his better games were tarnished by some horrible moments.

Hopefully he can turn it around

 

[SAweagle]

Haha even on footage from meeting new recruits over the past couple of years he seems super awkward and he sounds rough as guts. But then I remember hearing this story on coast to coast a few years ago about how he was hanging out with the new recruits having a few beers and they ordered pizza. He went home and cooked himself a steak and came back to hang out with the lads. He didn't need to lecture them about diet, he led by example.

That's a good captain.

Have to laugh at having beers but drawing the line at pizza.

 

[Scotland]

Respectfully, Allen and Duggan came across as 'who's left?' appointments.

Other than TB (who was reportedly talking to Sydney that off season) there is no one in the Rd 1 2024 team that looks like an obvious appointment. Waterman missed half of 2023 with his illness and there were big question marks over whether he would come back.

What we had: Duggan, Allen + McGovern, Waterman, Graham, Baker

What we should have: Baker C, Waterman VC + Ginbey, Hough, Graham

 

[Farmer Lister]

Have to laugh at having beers but drawing the line at pizza.

He's only human

 

[ThePuma #9]

It will be Duggan and Baker. I'm ok with that......but i'd like to see some of the younger boys as vice captains or at the very least in the leadership group.

Harley, Ginbey, Hewey.....etc etc

 

[Scotland]

Baker is 28, Duggan is 29. Both are unlikely to ever be a premiership captain.

Connor Rozee

1

Connor Rozee

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

79kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.6

5star

MG

189.2

3star

D

12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.3

3star

M

2.9

3star

T

2.4

3star

MG

189.2

3star

D

16.4

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

8.4

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

3.4

5star

has been captain for the 24 season, so he was 24 and had played 100 games. Hough is 22, 75. Ginbey is 21, 63. Guys like Hewett and Reid have not even made it to 40 games yet. The next next captain should really be someone that is 24-27 and has played 100 games.

 

[WCErevival]

Baker is 28, Duggan is 29. Both are unlikely to ever be a premiership captain.

Connor Rozee has been captain for the 24 season, so he was 24 and had played 100 games. Hough is 22, 75. Ginbey is 21, 63. Guys like Hewett and Reid have not even made it to 40 games yet. The next next captain should really be someone that is 24-27 and has played 100 games.

We've only got 9 players with at least 100 games of experience. Slim pickings.

 

[darksquare]

Baker is 28, Duggan is 29. Both are unlikely to ever be a premiership captain.

Connor Rozee has been captain for the 24 season, so he was 24 and had played 100 games. Hough is 22, 75. Ginbey is 21, 63. Guys like Hewett and Reid have not even made it to 40 games yet. The next next captain should really be someone that is 24-27 and has played 100 games.

Jack Petruccelle?

 

[flamingEMBERS]

I expect Duggan and I think it should be Duggan. Maybe Baker is the spiritual leader, but Duggan should be captain. Just **** off co captains. We’ve only ever had them when we’re shithouse. Nothing wrong with a captain and a strong Vice.

Regarding Duggan, he’s clearly b23 maybe a new role either on the wing, hff or pure lockdown. Reckon he’ll be reinvigorated not having to share with that loser Oscar.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Good point, i see Ginbey/Hough as the standout candidates at this stage.

If Harley can put together a full year of team first footy certainly add him in. He's a touch undercooked at the moment for a leadership role, can lose focus and get emotional quickly. One more year and then get him in.

Sure he came back unfit, but the way he played the back half of the year showed great maturity.

 

[TY24]

Sure he came back unfit, but the way he played the back half of the year showed great maturity.

If he comes back in shape and continues to build then I'd consider him for the LG next year. I think it's a year too early personally at the moment.

Tear up year 3 now that the contract noise is on the back burner (for now), and he'll earn himself a spot.

 

[DorothyG]

I don't see Reid as the captain type.

He is always going to have that white line fever about him. Just let him play and dominate, push the line, with out all the other junk that comes with being captain. Bit like Dusty, Franklin etc

 

[Tugga27]

I don't see Reid as the captain type.

He is always going to have that white line fever about him. Just let him play and dominate, push the line, with out all the other junk that comes with being captain. Bit like Dusty, Franklin etc

Maybe.

But it worked out pretty well for Toby Green.

 

[Mr Q]

Baker is 28, Duggan is 29. Both are unlikely to ever be a premiership captain.

Connor Rozee has been captain for the 24 season, so he was 24 and had played 100 games. Hough is 22, 75. Ginbey is 21, 63. Guys like Hewett and Reid have not even made it to 40 games yet. The next next captain should really be someone that is 24-27 and has played 100 games.

John Worsfold was 22 and had played 75 games when he became captain.

 

[BSD]

I expect Duggan and I think it should be Duggan. Maybe Baker is the spiritual leader, but Duggan should be captain. Just **** off co captains. We’ve only ever had them when we’re shithouse. Nothing wrong with a captain and a strong Vice.

Regarding Duggan, he’s clearly b23 maybe a new role either on the wing, hff or pure lockdown. Reckon he’ll be reinvigorated not having to share with that loser Oscar.

Duggan is the best dump kicker in the squad and you want him as captain.

 

[PremiershipNo4]

I see Ginbey as captain, but not for 2026.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Duggan is the best dump kicker in the squad and you want him as captain.

I don’t want him getting the ball in the situations where he needs to dump kick.

Get him loose on a wing/hff penetrating inside 50. Has a good tank and is strong.

 

[Scotland]

We've only got 9 players with at least 100 games of experience. Slim pickings.

Yep, but we have a stack of players that have played 10s of games.

Cousins turned 23 the first season was captain, 100 games at time of appointment
Judd 23, 92
Glass 27, 145
Hurn 28, 152
Shuey 30, 201
Allen 25, 82
Duggan 28, 158

John Worsfold was 22 and had played 75 games when he became captain.

And the most experienced player in his first team as captain had played 86 games.

That early 90s WC side was atypically young and inexperienced. A lot of players did have WAFL experience though.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

I don’t want Duggan anywhere near the captaincy, because we don’t seem to be able to drop our captains when they are causing massive amounts of turnovers. Give it to Baker til Harley is ready.