Goodes and McVeigh co-captains

Dual Brownlow Medallist, Adam Goodes, and 2008 Club Champion, Jarrad McVeigh, will be joint captains of the Sydney Swans in 2011.

Senior coach John Longmire today announced that McVeigh, who has been in the leadership group for the past few years, had been elevated to the captaincy alongside Goodes, who has been a co-captain of the Swans since 2009.

Longmire said the pair epitomised the team-first values at the Swans and would work well together as co-captains.

“Adam has been a wonderful leader for several years now, and I know he and Jarrad will combine to share the load,’’ Longmire said.

“It’s a big job, and they are quite different people so I believe they will complement each other as they undertake this important role for the Club.’’

McVeigh, 25, is a bona fide New South Welshman. He grew up on the NSW Central Coast and played his junior football for Killarney Vale, and then Pennant Hills in Sydney’s north. He first represented NSW in the Under 12 schoolboys side, then in the Under 16 and Under 18 state teams.

He came to the Swans as a first round pick (number five) in the 2002 national draft. He made his AFL debut in 2004 and has played 147 games, mostly as a hard-running, skilful midfielder. He won the Club best and fairest award in 2008, and was a member of the Australian side in the International Rules series against Ireland in 2010.

McVeigh said it was a huge honour to captain the team he has supported all his life. “I’ve been going to games and watching the Swans since I was five years old, so to come from New South Wales and then to become co-captain of the Club with Adam Goodes is a very proud moment for me,’’ McVeigh said.

Goodes, 31, said he was excited to be re-appointed to the captaincy and looked forward to working with McVeigh. “To have co-captains is a true reflection of the type of leadership we value at the Swans and a real positive for us,’’ Goodes said.

“There’s not just one leader who stands out. People lead in different ways and Jarrad will be a fantastic leader of the football club.’’

The Swans have had a joint captaincy model since 2005. For the past two years Goodes was co-captain with Brett Kirk and Craig Bolton. Kirk retired at the end of the 2010 season and Bolton has relinquished his captaincy duties to concentrate on regaining fitness after a long injury break.

Longmire, who is in his first season as senior coach, said he was open-minded about the Club’s captaincy structure. “I considered having one, two or three captains but decided a joint captaincy between Adam and Jarrad was the strongest option for us at the moment,’’ Longmire said.

“I chose Jarrad as co-captain because he plays a disciplined role for the team and has done so for a number of years now. He understands the game well and is prepared to help drive the group,’’ Longmire said.

“He has taken his football to a level where he is confident and prepared to say what he thinks, and we value that honesty.’’