Essendon announce 2018 leadership group

Dyson Heppell will once again lead the Bombers, after the club confirmed their leadership group for the 2018 season on Saturday morning.

Heppell will have two vice-captains in Zach Merrett and Cale Hooker, while David Myers and Orazio Fantasia have been voted into the group to replace the two outgoing members, Jobe Watson and Brendan Goddard.

Goodard was originally voted into the group for another season, although he believed it was time to allow others to show their leadership qualities.

Joe Daniher and Michael Hurley are the final two members of the seven-man group.

Coach John Worsfold was pleased with the seven players named, and believes it's the right group to take the club forward both on and off the field.

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“As a team we are committed to taking our game to the next level through hard work and continuous improvement,” Worsfold told essendonfc.com.au.

“It’s wonderful to see Dyson voted back in as captain, and his leadership style clearly resonates with his teammates.

“Dyson consistently displays care for his teammates, leads by example and is extremely driven to see this group achieve the success they are striving for.

“Orazio and David’s elevation is vote of confidence in their leadership qualities, while Brendon’s decision to step aside and provide a teammate with the opportunity to step up is a wonderful example of leadership.

“The leadership group will continue to drive our elite standards and core values to ensure we are ruthless and competitive in every aspect of our preparation and performance.”

After being voted captain for the second straight season, Heppell is excited to once again lead the club.

“I really enjoyed the challenge of leading the group last season, and I’m extremely proud to have the opportunity to captain the Club again in 2018,” Heppell told the club's website.

“The leadership group is made up of a really diverse and talented group of players who are extremely passionate to see the Club achieve success.

“While the leadership group will uphold our elite standards, it’s up to every player on our list to drive the improvement in order to take our game to the next level.

“While there’s still plenty of hard work ahead of us in the build up to round one, we’re excited about the challenge of the upcoming season and can’t wait to get out there and start playing for premiership points.”