The Geelong Football Club has named Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart as its captain and vice-captain for the 2023 season, respectively. Dangerfield will be the Cats’ 54th VFL/AFL captain, succeeding Joel Selwood who held the position for 12 years.
Dangerfield and Stewart were co-vice-captains in 2022, with Dangerfield holding the position since 2017. He has been a prominent figure in the AFL industry, serving as President of the AFL Players’ Association since 2018, and has received numerous awards and accolades including a Brownlow Medal, three Carji Greeves Medals, an AFLCA Player of the Year award, and a Premiership Player.
Since his debut in 2017, Stewart has quickly become a leader at the Cats, earning All-Australian honors in four of his six years in the competition and being named the Carji Greeves Medallist in 2021. He is widely recognized as the general of the Cats’ defense and one of the best defenders of his generation.
The leadership appointments were made after consultations with Cats players, the General Manager of Football, the Senior Coach, and the CEO, and were ratified by the Board. The captaincy and vice-captaincy are part of the designated player leadership group, but leadership responsibilities are shared among a broad group of senior and emerging leaders within the squad.
Senior Coach Chris Scott praised Dangerfield and Stewart’s leadership, noting their positive influence on the club and their respect among the playing group. Dangerfield expressed his joy and honor at representing the Cats, and Stewart spoke of his pride in continuing to grow and develop as a leader.
The Geelong Football Club will face the Brisbane Lions in its practice match on Thursday, March 2nd at the Brighton Homes Arena.
