With leadership change looming at some clubs and long-term planning underway at others, we forecast who's next in line to captain each club in 2026 or beyond.
Some clubs have laid a solid leadership foundation as they enter, or remain in, the premiership window, while others will look to re-shuffle their leadership as they prepare to build their next premiership team.
Sydney
Errol Gulden
Callum Mills has captained the Swans since 2022. Despite suffering a number of injury setbacks, the Swans have played finals footy in three of the four years since he began as captain. At just 28, Mills looks likely to captain the Swans in 2026 and beyond.
When the time comes for Mills to step down, Gulden looks like a viable option to take the club forward. Drafted at Pick 32 in the 2020 Draft, the hard-running left footer has enjoyed a stellar start to his career, barring an injury-interrupted 2025. He was named in the All-Australian team as a 21-year-old.
Gulden's exceptional work-rate, consistency and professionalism make him the obvious choice to captain the Swans when Mills' time comes. He is highly regarded internally for his attention to detail in preparing, training and performing on game day. These qualities suggest Gulden is a ready-made option to lead Sydney when the time comes.
