PATRICK Cripps will captain Carlton in 2022, supported by vice-captains Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering.
Cripps was previously co-captain alongside Sam Docherty, who has stood down from captaincy duties for the 2022 season as he focuses on his recovery from testicular cancer.
Comprised of 26-year-old Cripps, 21-year-old Walsh and 24-year-old Weitering, the three-man leadership group is a symbolic shift towards a new era for the Blues.
New senior coach Michael Voss said the future is bright with the new leadership group.
"Our club has complete belief that Patrick, Jacob and Sam will drive the team that we are striving to be this season," Voss said.
"Since arriving at the Club, I have seen first-hand the incredible passion Patrick has to bring team success to this football club. Equally, both Jacob and Sam set the standards for work-rate and professionalism and have earned the opportunity to lead as co-vice captains.
"A strong culture is centred around great leadership, we certainly have that in these three players who have a terrific understanding of what is required to drive standards at the elite level.
"I have no doubt as this group builds its connection with one another with the more time we spend together, the responsibility of leadership will be shared right across the board – which we have already started to see great signs of."
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Cripps thanked Docherty, and said his former co-captain had been instrumental in his own growth as a leader.
"It’s been an absolute honour to have held the captaincy alongside Doc for the past three seasons – it’s largely thanks to him that I’ve grown to be the leader I am today," Cripps said.
"I’m now really looking forward to taking the next step this year under a new team of coaches and alongside 'Weiters' and 'Walshy'.
"The leadership of our group does not stop with just the three of us. We are fortunate to have both established and emerging leaders across every line and our focus this season will be bringing that out in one another – it is a collective responsibility for us to start to earn respect and we’re already putting in a massive amount of work to get that."
