It didn’t take long for the West Coast Eagles to identify the club’s 11th AFL captain.
After 2018 premiership skipper Shannon Hurn declared his intention to vacate the position during a team meeting on Wednesday morning, the playing group submitted their votes to determine his replacement.
Those ballot papers were collected, reviewed and the outcome – an overwhelming vote in favour of joint vice-captain Luke Shuey – was ratified by the Board.
And on Thursday senior coach Adam Simpson paid a visit to Shuey’s house to let him know that he’d be the man to lead the Eagles into season 2020.
The squad found out minutes before Shuey fronted a press conference at Mineral Resources Park this morning.
A rapturous applause thundered from the player’s lecture theatre and through the building. It was clearly a popular decision.
In spite of being informed the day prior, Shuey still appeared to be processing the enormity of the honour when he took the stage alongside Simpson.
But he quickly slipped into gear, showing the class that propelled him to the distinguished position.
“I certainly didn’t set out to specifically be a captain,” Shuey said.
“I guess I always wanted to be the best leader I can be purely just to help this footy club grow and succeed.
“I’m not about just being captain just for the title. I’m here to help the footy club grow and improve and hopefully get back to where we were in 2018.
“It’s an enormous privilege and one I’m looking forward to.”
Shuey intends to be his own man as captain, but that doesn’t mean he won’t lean on others for advice.
He won’t hesitate to seek counsel from the likes of Hurn, long-serving club captain come West Coast List Manager Darren Glass and his deputies – Josh Kennedy and Jeremy McGovern – as he navigates his new journey as skipper.
“I’m not going to change who I am. I’d like to think I’m here because of who I’ve been the last 11 years,” he said.
“You’ll never find two captains to be the exact same person, so whoever it was going to be up here we were never going to be the same as ‘Bung’. You probably won’t find another ‘Bung’ worldwide.
“I think I’m pretty lucky to have ‘Bung’ still around for the next few years at least.
“What he’s done can’t be understated. He played such a hand in getting us to the grand final in 2018 and having success.
“He’s helped change the culture for the better over the years; he’s been here during such a tumultuous period in the club’s history. He’s been all through that and I couldn’t have thought of a better bloke to run the show over the last five years.”
Shuey’s goal as skipper is simple: to continue the good work of Hurn and steer the squad towards a new era of sustained success.
Like all captains that have been before him, Shuey knows there will be challenges, but he is determined to put his best foot forward and ride the bumps alongside his teammates.
“It’s a journey we’re on as a group; I’m just fortunate enough to be captain of such a great playing group,” he said.
“I love these boys and I’m very privileged to be able to do this.
“As a footy club we want to get back to finals again.
“We say it every year, but we can only worry about week to week and we’ll win as many games as we can, try to qualify for finals and once we do that we’ll figure out where to go from there.”
