PORT Adelaide's longest-serving AFL captain says the time is right to hand over the reins after six seasons and 137 games in the top job.

Skipper Travis Boak, 30, announced on Friday he would be stepping down from the Power captaincy.

The Power will give his successor the next three and a half months to prove why he should take over before locking in their future captain ahead of the JLT Community Series in early March.

Vice-captain Ollie Wines and defender Tom Jonas are the front-runners, while Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett, Charlie Dixon and Tom Rockliff, who comprise the leadership group, will also be considered.

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Boak has held the role since taking over from Dom Cassisi in 2013 – the same year in which Power coach Ken Hinkley was appointed.

"It's the perfect time to hand it over," Boak told reporters on Friday.

"To captain this club for six years has been a huge honour and something I'll cherish forever, but there always comes a point where it's time to hand it on and I think it's the perfect time.

"The group's in a great place to move forward with whoever is next."

Hinkley said the decision was mutual and it was a chance for Boak to focus on his football.

"It's the right time for Travis to let someone else have a go, but more importantly, to let himself have some freedom because it's a big job," Hinkley said.

"You talk about what he's got to put up with and what he's got to do as a player first, then he's got to be the captain and the voice of the club and he's got to stand up the front all the time, more often than not when there's some difficult things to be done.

"He's a star - he's done it very well."

The decision means Boak will give up the No.1 jumper reserved for the club captain, and return to the No.10 guernsey he wore prior to taking on the role.

"I don’t think too much will change, there’ll just be a zero next to the one," he joked.

"I'll still be a leader around the club, and whoever takes over next, I'll be there to support them.

"We've got a strong leadership group and a lot of senior players, and I'll be one of those who'll be there to guide and provide advice as much as I can."

Hinkley wouldn't be drawn on who would be the next captain, not wanting to take the focus from what Boak had accomplished in his time in the position.

"They'd be four or five, without putting names on them," Hinkley said.

"We won't make a call until well into the new year.

"I'll put a timeline on it around JLT, but I'm not going to say it's before or after.

I'm looking for a bloke who is very similar to Travis Boak, who just leads the right way.

"He's just so reliable, on the field, off the field, with everything he does.

"We want to have really high standards and we want to live up to what he's been able to do."

Wines, 24, has played 129 games for the Power since being taken with the seventh overall pick at the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.

The inside midfielder has been Boak's right-hand man for the past two seasons, and finished equal second alongside Jonas in the Power's best and fairest this year.

Wines also turned down a chance to return to Victoria by signing a four-year contract extension with the Power until 2022.

Jonas, 27, has been in the All-Australian 40-man squad for the past two seasons and leads by example on the field.

Hinkley said the players, coaches and the Port Adelaide board would have input into the decision of the next captain.

Boak informed his teammates of his decision on Friday morning and also spoke to his mum on Thursday night.

"She knew straight away," Boak said.

"I had a chat, it was a little bit emotional.

"That's the hardest part, chatting to the boys.

"Having their support for the six years, not only from the leaders, but all of the players, having them vote you in every year is pretty special."

Boak will revert to the No. 10 guernsey that he wore from 2007-12.

The No.1 Port Adelaide jumper is always reserved for the club's captain.