West Coast Eagles name Allen, Duggan co-captains From Shayne HopeTo safeguar dshare Normal text sizeLarger text size
Extra large text size West Coast have named co-captains for the second time in the AFL club’s history, with Oscar Allen and Liam Duggan named as joint successors to Luke Shuey.
The duo’s selection was confirmed by the club’s board this week. This is the first time the Eagles have had co-captains since 2001, when Dean Kemp and Ben Cousins shared the helm. Oscar Allen of Eagles.
The move comes at a time when West Coast are looking to move away from the bottom of the table after two disastrous seasons in which they managed just five wins.
“Being captain of a big club like the West Coast Eagles comes with a lot of responsibility,” said the club’s football manager, Gavin Bell.“The opinions of a number of people, including their colleagues, were very different (Allen and Duggan).
“We also think their different skills and styles complement each other, so it makes sense for them to work together. »Tom Barrass will remain West Coast vice-captain after turning down a costly move to Sydney.
Fellow defender Jeremy Mc Govern has stepped back from his leadership role to focus on his own game after struggling with injuries over the past four seasons.
“Even though (McGovern) will not have a formal role, we expect him to continue to provide strong leadership,” Bell said.
“TB (Barrass) is a man who cares deeply for his teammates and has been a strong leader and connector within the group for several years.Liam Duggan will share the role.
“He will continue to play a key role in this.”Allen and Duggan are the 13th and 14th captains in West Coast’s 37-year history.
They take over from 2018 premiership hero Shuey, who retired at the end of last season after 248 games. Allen, 24, led the Eagles’ returns with 53 majors last season and finished second to Tim Kelly in the club champion award.
Duggan finished third in the pecking order – his third top-five finish in the last four seasons – and became a reliable defender in 158 games.
