The on-field capabilities of Elliot Yeo and Jack Darling have been clearly demonstrated throughout their careers, but they are poised to take another quantum leap forward in their personal development this year.

Yeo is a dual Club Champion and all-Australian, Darling has thrice been the club’s leading goal-kicker and was last year included in the all-Australian team for the first time. They both played in the 2018 premiership.

Now they have been elevated to the club’s senior leadership group in support of new captain Luke Shuey, vice-captains Josh Kennedy and Jeremy McGovern and other highly respected senior players Nic Naitanui and Andrew Gaff.

Craig Vozzo – General Manager, Football – said the leadership group was ratified after going through the usual thorough process.

“With the leadership group we go through our normal process where the players vote and then Adam Simpson and I have a look at those and take some recommendations to Trevor Nisbett and the board,” Vozzo said.

“Adam and I were really pleased following the voting, we’re aligned with the players and are thrilled to announce that Jack Darling and Elliot Yeo have been promoted into our leadership group for 2020.

“They’re both wonderful footballers, but sometimes it takes a little bit more time, we all develop at different rates in terms of leadership. They’ve both got very different ways of leading.

“Jack is a quieter, one-on-one type mentor. He has a terrific knowledge of the game and is able to pass that on one-on-one through our forward line. He has had the benefit of working with JK for such a long period of time. Between JK, Jack Darling and Jamie Cripps they’re terrific leaders of our forward line.

“Elliot has developed in to one of our best players and one of the better players in the game and is still forming his way of leadership and it’s going really well. We look forward to putting some energy into that growth over the next few years - we’re excited where that could head.”