Prediction Club Captaincy & Leadership Group 2026 Discussion/Predictions

[squashface]

I was all about Baker getting the C- until I heard him speak.
His leadership capabilities are unquestionable IMO but he really doesn't present well in front of a camera which is a fairly important part of the job.
Ginbey is definitely the future C and I think he has the ability take on the role now but I would hold fire on that. He has had a break out year and is still discovering himself as a footballer so to have the burden of captaining a young and terrible team could really impact his development.
So despite Baker's bogan persona I think he is the best fit for the next couple of years until we are out of the muck and Ginbey can take over.
Id also throw Hewett in the mix, very articulate, smart and I think he will demand high standards. Again, too young to take it on now but may challenge Ginbey for C in a couple of years. Worth including in the LSG.

Assuming you mean from the BnF when he would have been on the piss?

He's fine in press conferences and interviews imo.

 

[Keys]

Captain: Liam Duggan

14

Liam Duggan

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

283.7

4star

D

16.0

4star

K

12.0

5star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.1

2star

MG

283.7

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.2

3star

Vice Captains: Liam Baker

3

Liam Baker

Age

28

Ht

173cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.7

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.7

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

7.9

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

3star

CL

0.5

3star

D

14.4

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

8.2

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

1.2

4star

and Jake Waterman

2

Jake Waterman

Age

27

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.8

2star

K

7.8

3star

HB

2.0

1star

M

5.8

5star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

12.2

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

Leadership: Jack Graham

17

Jack Graham

Age

27

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

, Brady Hough and Rueben Ginbey

I think there’s a gap between how Duggan is perceived on here as both a leader and player and the status he is held at within the club

He finished 7th overall in the B&F and top 5 in votes per game so his value to the side is clearly rated higher by the coaches than it is here. Seems to be very popular with not only the playing group but the club as a whole and generally presents well in media conferences and public appearances

Baker and Waterman would make very good deputies as a promotion from last years leadership group

Meanwhile, Hough and Ginbey should be added to the leadership group as part of their ongoing development as future leaders

 

[Doashuey]

Assuming you mean from the BnF when he would have been on the piss?

He's fine in press conferences and interviews imo.

No, from the JW medal speech. I umm don't think ahhh umm he speaks umm well at all.
Maybe it can be trained and I don't have an issue with what he says, he just has a very poor delivery.
I don't necessarily think it should be a show stopper but the club may think differently when selecting the guy they will roll out to the media to represent the club each week.

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[Farmer Lister]

C: Duggan
VC: Baker, Waterman, Ginbey, Graham

Minimal changes

This seems fine but then can you drop Duggan to WAFL if needed?

 

[Jumpoff Joey]

C: Bont
VC: Baker
LG: P Cripps, Hough, Neale, Ginbey, Reid

 

[ghostbat12]

Captain: Liam Duggan
Vice Captains: Liam Baker and Jake Waterman
Leadership: Jack Graham, Brady Hough and Rueben Ginbey

I think there’s a gap between how Duggan is perceived on here as both a leader and player and the status he is held at within the club

He finished 7th overall in the B&F and top 5 in votes per game so his value to the side is clearly rated higher by the coaches than it is here. Seems to be very popular with not only the playing group but the club as a whole and generally presents well in media conferences and public appearances

Baker and Waterman would make very good deputies as a promotion from last years leadership group

Meanwhile, Hough and Ginbey should be added to the leadership group as part of their ongoing development as future leaders

I am going to argue that if your captain is 7th in a side that’s worse than Fitzroy, then odds are coaches do not rate your impact.

Presenting well in media and public appearances is something corporates rate. Don’t care.

 

[Mr Q]

I get the dislike for co-captains, but I think that would be the best model for next year.

C: Duggan, Baker
VC: Ginbey, Waterman

LG: Hough, Yeo, perhaps McCarthy.

After Graham's suspension - specifically what it was for - he's a no-go for me for any leadership position. That was anti-leadership stuff. Statistically speaking, there will be gay players on the team who would be uncomfortable with him in that role.

I don't think Reid is a long term C, I think he tops out more at the leadership group in a couple of years, and I'd let him do his thing for a couple of years first.

 

[Westend]

I get the dislike for co-captains, but I think that would be the best model for next year.

C: Duggan, Baker
VC: Ginbey, Waterman

LG: Hough, Yeo, perhaps McCarthy.

After Graham's suspension - specifically what it was for - he's a no-go for me for any leadership position. That was anti-leadership stuff. Statistically speaking, there will be gay players on the team who would be uncomfortable with him in that role.

I don't think Reid is a long term C, I think he tops out more at the leadership group in a couple of years, and I'd let him do his thing for a couple of years first.

Looks good Q ...happy with those maybe not McCarthy yet....... you could swap Hough and Ginbey maybe Edwards for a LG role ??

 

[jdisc]

wouldnt be opposed to Harley in the leadership group

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Captain: Liam Duggan
Vice Captains: Liam Baker and Jake Waterman
Leadership: Jack Graham, Brady Hough and Rueben Ginbey

I think there’s a gap between how Duggan is perceived on here as both a leader and player and the status he is held at within the club

He finished 7th overall in the B&F and top 5 in votes per game so his value to the side is clearly rated higher by the coaches than it is here. Seems to be very popular with not only the playing group but the club as a whole and generally presents well in media conferences and public appearances

Baker and Waterman would make very good deputies as a promotion from last years leadership group

Meanwhile, Hough and Ginbey should be added to the leadership group as part of their ongoing development as future leaders

I think this is how it'll pan out unless Duggan stands aside. But the ball is in his court there.

Three Mainy medals says it all in terms of how he's regarded internally.

 

[squashface]

I don't mind the idea of giving Duggan another go at it as solo captain, would have been a very awkward experience having to do it with a departing Oscar this year. Still prefer Baker though.

 

[TY24]

I just don't think Duggan contributes enough on field to be a solo captain. There were times this year where it felt like he was only getting a game due to being the skipper. Maybe I'm harsh on the bloke, but he's one of the most uninspiring players I've ever watched.

He's not the sort you'd run through walls for. Oscar showed he has that in him (v North in Tassie last year springs to mind), he just didn't do it enough. It's always felt like Duggan was thrown in as a co-captain to cover Oscar being perma-injured to me.

Bakes and Ginbey are the sort of blokes you'd go into war with.

 

[ziad]

I don't mind the idea of giving Duggan another go at it as solo captain, would have been a very awkward experience having to do it with a departing Oscar this year. Still prefer Baker though.

For all Bakers lack of corporate class and spin we need a football captain. Duggan can be the welfare captain.

EG: Barrass shon in the PR and coprporate stakes but failed 200% as a football captain.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

.

C: Bont
VC: Baker
LG: P Cripps, Hough, Neale, Ginbey, Reid

I'd have Paddy Cripps as captain, Bont and Baker as VC's. Neale in leadership group is fine. Probably keep Clayton Oliver out of the leadership group for now.

 

[squashface]

No, from the JW medal speech. I umm don't think ahhh umm he speaks umm well at all.
Maybe it can be trained and I don't have an issue with what he says, he just has a very poor delivery.
I don't necessarily think it should be a show stopper but the club may think differently when selecting the guy they will roll out to the media to represent the club each week.

Eagles Media Videos

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www.westcoasteagles.com.au

Yes, the JW medal is the BnF. He would've been a fair few beers deep by the time this interview happened.

And like I said, he's fine in interviews and pressers. He's also clearly a leader on field which is more important than how he speaks at an event.

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

It HAS to be Baker at this point. I'll be bitterly...BITTERLY disappointed if a) They go with co-captains or b) They go back to the barren well that is Duggan.

The whole 'players votes' thing is a farce.

Mark down today's date in your calendar. The players vote is no more.

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

No, from the JW medal speech. I umm don't think ahhh umm he speaks umm well at all.
Maybe it can be trained and I don't have an issue with what he says, he just has a very poor delivery.
I don't necessarily think it should be a show stopper but the club may think differently when selecting the guy they will roll out to the media to represent the club each week.

Eagles Media Videos

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www.westcoasteagles.com.au

It's certainly not polished, but its authentic and I like that. Can see both sides to it mind you

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

wouldnt be opposed to Harley in the leadership group

Might be too early for him, probably is. To the contrary, he might be the sort to rise to the occasion and it could really bring the best out in him. I lean towards the former now I think, but he's a shoo-in for a leadership role before his contract ends I think, or at very latest, from the year he eventually puts pen to paper again.

 

[stallon]

This seems fine but then can you drop Duggan to WAFL if needed?

I know people want him dropped, but hes not that bad.

Hes never in our worst few players

 

[rebel23]

Waterman captain
Hough vc
Duggan beagles captain

 

[Altum Volantes]

Feel for Duggan.

He is the guy who WANTED to be captain - unlike Allen, who obviously got his arm (wrongly) twisted.

It has been a horrible 2 years in the job for him - his output has struggled in 2025 but he also went through Simmo's departure last year, a 1 win season and all that crap with Allen this year.

To his credit, he has done his best and got on with the job - unfortunately, the club is STILL not in the position to STRONGLY back Duggan as 'THE CAPTAIN THAT STAYED' which would no doubt give his position a bit more validity. The season has been spent protecting Allen from the media, with more focus on his own future than his actual job of captain - it has greatly reduced the significance of the role and that needs to be re-embraced ASAP.

In terms of alternatives, Baker is a popular choice with his attack on the ball and quality footy this year....BUT I don't thInk he presents as well as Duggan and I suspect he may be the kind of guy that makes a better VC.

I think once Allen is finally gone from the club once FA opens in a few weeks, I would like to see the club strongly back Duggan as a guy who has soldiered on and stayed true for the club when other senior players (Barrass, Allen, Darling, Ryan) have looked for the exit and left. It could be huge for Duggan, the man who wanted the job, and we could see a return to his best footy which would be great for the team too.

So my gut is, back in Liam Duggan

14

Liam Duggan

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

283.7

4star

D

16.0

4star

K

12.0

5star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.1

2star

MG

283.7

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.2

3star

. Give it to him solo for 2026 and lets see if he can rise to the occasion.

 

[Doashuey]

Yes, the JW medal is the BnF. He would've been a fair few beers deep by the time this interview happened.

And like I said, he's fine in interviews and pressers. He's also clearly a leader on field which is more important than how he speaks at an event.

Yeah I know that, I was thinking you were refering to the Tigers one last year.
As I say, I like what he says and would be happy for him to be the C but Im not sure if the club will share those thoughts.

 

[06Premiers]

Absolutely get rid of co-captains.

Agreed.

We should install tri-captains in Baker, Waterman & Duggan.
Or if we're feeling especially funky, how about Ginbey in there for quad-captains?

 

[flamingEMBERS]

C: Duggan - gets at least a season to put his own mark on it.
VC: Waterman, Baker
Leadership group: Reid, Ginbey, Hough

So important to get younger players through there

 

[EagleEgo]

Have we ever had a captain from another AFL club since Worsfold?