Six new AFL captains: King’s bold 2027 prediction

Could we have at least six AFL captaincy changes heading into the 2027 season?

SEN’s David King certainly thinks so, with footy’s best analyst tipping changes in on-field leadership at all of Fremantle, Collingwood, Geelong, Sydney, Carlton and West Coast.

With Toby Greene’s potential departure at GWS opening up a seventh likely change, King discussed the changing of the captaincy guard with Sam Edmund on SEN Breakfast.

King: “I want to have a chat to you about footy if we can. Could next season we have up to six new captains?

“I think that Alex Pearce would look to move his captaincy, wouldn't you think? Given his age and the readiness for guys like Andrew Brayshaw or Caleb Serong to take over.”

Edmund: “I could see that. That's one.”

King: “Would you see Nick Daicos taking over the captaincy next year?”

Edmund: “That's two.

King: “What about Geelong? Would they be looking to make a move? Could there be a short-termer in Tom Stewart, or would you think Max Holmes?”

Edmund: “I reckon Danger stays. I don’t know if that’s one of them.

King: “He’d be very close.”

Edmund: “Let's roll him in. That’s three.

King: “You think that Sydney would look at Errol Gulden?”

Edmund: “Yep, well, Callum Mills isn’t playing, so that (a change) is going to happen by default.

King: “Would Carlton look to transition to a Sam Walsh?”

Edmund: “I think it's perfect timing for Patrick Cripps, isn't it? It’s the last couple of years of your career, and Walsh is ready, that's five.

King: “Would Harley Reid be ready? It's a big challenge, but would he be ready?

“You feel like they need something fresh, something new to get this club absolutely bouncing.”

Edmund: “Answer your own question, is he ready?”

King: “I think he's ready. I'd love to see it. It's early, and he'd need a bit of support, but I just think he's a pretty solid option.”

Edmund: “There’s a seventh, Toby Greene isn’t going to be captaining GWS.”

King: “100 per cent, it’s going to be hard to do it from Geelong.”

Three clubs made significant captaincy changes heading into 2026, while two other clubs made co-captaincy switches.