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Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade admits he is not a fan of the co-captain system.
But he said Tom Lynch and Steven May gave the AFL club no choice but to adopt it after emerging as clear candidates to replace Gary Ablett as skipper.
“Historically I haven’t been a fan of it,” Eade said of co-captaincy.
“But Sydney do it very well … GWS are successful with it and I think it’s horses for courses – these two were standouts.
“Both guys have demonstrated they have the capabilities to lead and drive the team.”
The pair stepped into the co-captaincy at the back end of last season when Ablett was sidelined for seven games with ongoing shoulder issues.
“That period of time was not only a defining period for them individually, but also the team and it became obvious then, that a co-captaincy model was right for us,” Eade said.
“It’s a big job to be captain of a footy club, there’s a lot more demands on it than there’s ever been.
“I think to be able to share that will take some pressure off them.”
Ablett confirmed last month that he was stepping down from the role to concentrate on fitness after an injury-plagued past two AFL seasons.
Forward Lynch and backman May, both 24, have been with the Suns since being drafted ahead of the club’s inaugural AFL season in 2011.
“The one outstanding thing is the respect they’ve got of their teammates – when they speak, players listen,” Eade said of the new skippers.
“They’re all about trying to influence their teammates to greater heights and that’s really stood out.”
Lynch – a 2016 All Australian who has played 102 games – has been touted as a future captain since joining the Suns leadership group in 2014.
May, who’s played 88 games, has taken a less orthodox path.
He has had run-ins with the judiciary, most notably a five-match ban for knocking out Brisbane’s Stefan Martin this year.
And Day suffered a broken jaw when he was allegedly involved in a nightclub incident in Los Angeles with former teammate Campbell Brown in 2013.
“Six years ago we were living together, doing pre-season trying to get a game,” Day said of his journey with Lynch.
“You wouldn’t have thought we’d be captaining the club six years later.”
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