Phil Davis and Callan Ward will continue as the league’s longest serving co-captains when they lead the GIANTS in 2018.
Having shared the role since 2012, the pair sit alongside Geelong skipper Joel Selwood as the only current captains to hold the honour for a seventh-straight season.
Davis and Ward will lead a five-man unit which sees reigning Kevin Sheedy medallist and All-Australian midfielder Josh Kelly elevated to be named vice-captain alongside Stephen Coniglio while Matt de Boer has been named in the leadership group for the first time.
De Boer, 27, was a member of the leadership group at his former club Fremantle and had an immediate impact in his first year at the GIANTS, playing 15 games before re-signing until the end of 2019.
After four years in the leadership group, veteran defender Heath Shaw will step aside in 2018 alongside All-Australian midfielder Dylan Shiel who’s chosen not to be part of the group this season.
GIANTS General Manager Football Wayne Campbell said the playing group went through a thorough process to settle on the leaders.
“Selecting the Leadership Group has been a rigorous process and we’ve settled on a strong group which will continue to drive us forward in 2018,” Campbell said.
“Callan and Phil have been wonderful leaders of our club since our inception and the process has strongly endorsed them to continue as co-captains.
“Stephen did an outstanding job in his first 12 months as vice-captain and we believe Josh will continue to develop as a leader with the elevation to this position.
“Matt has shown wonderful leadership qualities since the day he arrived at our club and will bring a different set of skills to the group.
“I’d like to acknowledge the roles that Heath Shaw and Dylan Shiel have played in our leadership group in recent seasons and I look forward to them continuing to play important mentoring roles within our playing group alongside the likes of Ryan Griffen, Tom Scully and Brett Deledio.”
Speaking on behalf of the leadership group, Ward said he was honoured to once again be leading the GIANTS.
“This position is an enormous honour for Phil and I and we’re really looking forward to what’s to come in 2018,” he said.
“We have some terrific support around us with Steve, Josh and Matt and the whole playing group really helping to drive the standards throughout the pre-season.
“With the season almost upon us, I know the playing group is really looking forward to building on what we’ve done to this point.”
2018 Leadership Group
Callan Ward, 27, played all 25 games in 2017 and has played 192 career games since being drafted with pick 19 in the 2007 Draft.
Phil Davis, 27, played a career high 24 games in 2017 to take his career tally to 121 games since being drafted with pick 10 in 2008.
Josh Kelly, 23, comes off a career-best year where he was awarded All Australian honours and named the Kevin Sheedy Medallist as GIANTS Club Champion. Kelly played 24 games in 2017 and has played 84 games for the GIANTS in his four seasons at the club.
Stephen Coniglio, 24, played 10 games in 2017 to take his career tally to 95 matches since being selected with pick 2 in the 2011 NAB AFL Draft.
Matt De Boer, 27, played 15 games in 2017 having joined the GIANTS through the 2016 draft at pick 58. De Boer has played 153 career games since his debut for Fremantle in 2009.
