New co-captains announced for 2024: Allen & Duggan

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As many have mentioned, not a massive fan of co-captains.

But back the club in - they've picked a couple in the past that i wouldn't necessarily though of (Glass and Hurn),

The new recruit's comment about Duggan teaching him respect for all people at the club - is the sort of stuff you don't see on the outside.
 

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Duggan’s promotion is a strategic ploy to increase the number of female members I’d imagine
 
WCE_phil said:
Happy with the clubs decision. I think people need to remember 12 months ago Allen essentially hadn't played a game in a year and was still seen as immensely talented but was still putting it together on field.
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Definitely agree with this. Captain needs to be durable and on the park. That’s why I don’t think Allen is holding the mantle outright just yet. With that in mind I like the decision. I think we will see a solo captain at the next turn
 
It seemed like we were heading in this direction but it's still odd as it's not something we normally do.

I reckon Duggan is much more popular with the players than Oscar. Conversely, Allen is a better player and on field leader.

The compromise makes sense I think, even if co-captains are a bit meh.
 


Thoughts from Duffield

Says that the vote among players was very close with Barrass a fair way behind in third

Also claims Pyke was consulted but wasn’t a driving force behind the decision

Makes some valid points

Two heads are better than one, especially when the heads are young ones.
West Coast’s unconventional appointment of Oscar Allen and Liam Duggan as co-captains for the 2024 season was the lowest risk option of the three options before them.

It was either one, the other or both.

What it couldn’t be is any player considered to be of the older generation of Eagles, which ruled out Jeremy McGovern (31) and probably even Tom Barrass (28), even though he is only 14 months older than Duggan.

The Eagles first polled players and then key staff before taking a recommendation to the club board. The player poll indicated that there wasn’t much between Allen and Duggan, but there was then a gap to third preference Barrass.

That made the decision-making process easy.

The decision feels early given that Luke Shuey wasn’t confirmed to continue in the captaincy until well into the new year this year. And the co-captaincy also feels different – the first time since Dean Kemp and Ben Cousins shared the role in 2001.

But the timing matches the first time appointment of Shuey in the first week of December of 2019. And the decision to go for co-captains is understandable given the injury ravages that have beset the Eagles since midway through the 2021 season and the relative inexperience of Allen – one of the new leaders.

Allen had played a number of different roles in his first four seasons at the club because of the presence of power forwards Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling. He had been third forward at times, back up ruck to Nic Naitanui at other times and spare key defender at other times as McGovern’s durability waned with time.

After Allen missed all of 2022 with a foot problem it was decided to settle him in one position for the first time in his career – the position he was meant to play, which is as a power forward.

He responded brilliantly, kicking 53 goals in 23 games, but Allen is still 18 games shy of 100 and it would have been a big ask of him to carry the captaincy alone at this stage of his career. And despite the hype raging about number one draft pick Harley Reid – yet to play a game – Allen is at this point still clearly West Coast’s best “young” player.

It is critical he continues to emerge as that player.

It was important to allow him to continue to develop his craft and not saddle him with the entire burden of leading the biggest sporting club in Western Australia and one of the biggest in the country.

Duggan, meanwhile, at 26 has played 158 games and played in the 2018 premiership team. Because of that, he has a connection with the club’s older player group that Allen does not.

Duggan, more workmanlike team man than star, oozes leadership qualities and has done since early in his time at the Eagles. He shows a genuine care for teammates of all ages and experiences. It makes him a perfect foil for the younger Allen.

At 25, Allen will be the same age as Matthew Pavlich was when he inherited the Dockers captaincy from Peter Bell in 2007. Pavlich had played more than 150 games by the time he took the reins at the smaller of WA’s two clubs but has spoken since of some of the significant challenges a player of his age faced in leading men.

The co-captains decision does have a bit of a Sydney feel about it – just as West Coast’s incoming CEO Don Pyke has a bit of a Sydney feel about him after spending time as a senior assistant at the Swans. But it is understood that, while Pyke was consulted about the decision, he was not the driving force behind the club taking this direction.

The Eagles followed the lead the player vote took them in.

West Coast are betting they fare better with this co-captaincy model than the last one. Veteran Kemp was supposed to be the steadying influence for young gun Cousins, who was 22 at the start of the 2001 season.

But Kemp was claimed by concussion issues and played just eight times, eventually being forced into retirement at 32 after 243 games. The Eagles won five games, lost 17, finished third last and parted company with coach Ken Judge at the end of the season before the end of his contract.

Adam Simpson, who narrowly survived this season, will be hoping for a different outcome from this pairing.
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Keys said:


Thoughts from Duffield

Says that the vote among players was very close with Barrass a fair way behind in third

Also claims Pyke was consulted but wasn’t a driving force behind the decision

Makes some valid points
Click to expand...


West Coast are betting they fare better with this co-captaincy model than the last one. Veteran Kemp was supposed to be the steadying influence for young gun Cousins, who was 22 at the start of the 2001 season.

But Kemp was claimed by concussion issues and played just eight times, eventually being forced into retirement at 32 after 243 games. The Eagles won five games, lost 17, finished third last and parted company with coach Ken Judge at the end of the season before the end of his contract.

Adam Simpson, who narrowly survived this season, will be hoping for a different outcome from this pairing.

I'd probably take 5 wins to be fair
 
Keys said:


Thoughts from Duffield

Says that the vote among players was very close with Barrass a fair way behind in third

Also claims Pyke was consulted but wasn’t a driving force behind the decision

Makes some valid points
Click to expand...


I would say Duggan wanted it - put his hand up for it and said ‘bring it on’ - whereas Oscar more than likely was happy to wait to be appointed, see what happens etc.
Never going to be Barrass for reasons previously mentioned.

Duggan has been auditioning for a while now.

Let’s hope he avoids getting stuck between Gawn and Witts next year…

IMG_3472.jpeg
 
The right move I think. Allen is a little light on for outright captain in experience and age. We've got a young list, having captains at either end of the park can't hurt. Agree it should be Allen outright in a couple more years, but it's pretty difficult looking from the outside. Would trust the players to make the right choice.
 
Hate co-captains,should have been Oscar only.

Looking forward to seeing Duggan lead by example and scrub every second kick along the ground.
 
bradee said:
AHate co-captains,should have been Oscar only.

Looking forward to seeing Duggan lead by example and scrub every second kick along the ground.
Click to expand...
Agree that Duggan often lets himself down with skill execution. But you generally can't question his effort and team-first attitude. The captain needs to lead, not necessarily be the best player on the team.
 
A different approach for this appointment, we’ll see how it goes I guess. Two best candidates by far imo.
I do like that they’re each hosting a new recruits in HReid and Johnston. Reckon they’ll all get a lot out of it.
 
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