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I was actually captain is season 33. Season 34 was my second season in the role.
12 total seasons at the helm
Average 3 seasons per Captaincy
4 Captains across 4 leadership ‘eras’ since S27
Next Skipper? No idea. Falconista should be so lucky!
We have to go a fair way back to revisit the Gumbies, as the first club whose modern era stretches back beyond S30. In fact is was S27 and a lifetime ago when an up and about BRAB had the whip hand at the House of Gumby, having replaced his predecessor Fryer Tuck seeking to recruit his way out of the 'fold the Gumbies' trope.
And ahead of the S28 season he hit pay dirt, coaxing the reigning EKA Medaliist Barrybran out of the Bears despite looking like a dead set certainty to captain the club post JoshWoodenSpoon. Baz was seeking a greater challenge however and backed himself in to lead the Gumbies out of obscurity and into the mainstream, accepting BRAB & haydo's advances to assume the captaincy for S28 and beyond.
Despite proving to be one of the league's most elite captains during his reign, not to mention one of the competition's greatest contributors, the task would prove more difficult than anticipated from the outside looking in. Baz would go onto to captain the club between S28 & S33, and while enjoying individual success and accolades it was a slow and steady list build that would see a raft of veterans and fringe players through the doors, however activity remained a challenge during this period. Baz would uncover the odd gem in Gumbies lifer GWS Goose and attempted Furies saviour omgfridge, as well as pulling off the prized recruitment of hall of famer beez, complemented by the return of Chat Pile to Sweet FA ranks after a shock exit following their S28 EKA Medal win. This core nucleus would do the heavy lifting during the Baz era, however it gave the Gumbies the much needed credibility they craved.
But with an eye towards succession come S33, Barrybran would lure up and coming Warrior DenieD to the House of Gumby in a surprising move, as he handed the inexperienced recruit co-captaincy. However this was short-lived, as Baz would ultimately step back and allow DenieD the space to lead in his own right after what looked like some teething issues internally.
But just as DenieD looked set to emulate his predecessor after an impressive S34 full of media engagement and proactivity as a leader, he would as good as disappear early in his second season in charge and never return to carry the mantle. This would leave another up and comer in Falconista to step in and assume the reigns, and well the rest is history.
DenieD would leave the club in S36, while Falconista would lead very much in the mould of Barrybran, enjoying both club and broader league success as he would lead the Gumbies to just their 2nd premiership in S36 as well as emulating Baz and taking out the beez trophy himself in S37. Falconista has also proven himself to be one of the league's leading skippers during his 4 season tenure to date, as well as being a strong league contributor by assuming the custodianship of the league's ladders with aplomb.