Richmond will be solely led by ruckman Toby Nankervis next year after co-captain Dylan Grimes decided to step down from his role as shared skipper at Punt Road.
2024 is set to be Nankervis' third year as captain of the Tigers after he and Grimes were appointed as leaders of the club after triple premiership skipper Trent Cotchin relinquished his duties as captain.
Entering a new era under arrived coach Adem Yze, Nankervis will be the club's only captain from next year as the Tigers look to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 campaign.
Speaking via the club's announcement, Nankervis said leading in yellow and black is a privilege.
โBeing able to lead this Club and our team is something I will never take for granted, so to be backed in to continue on as captain next year is a privilege,โ he said.
โWe have some great leaders at the footy club and are united in what we want to achieve going forward on the field and as a high-performance environment, so I am looking forward to the challenge ahead.โ
Grimes' decision comes as the premiership backman looks to place more attention on his individual game and life balance, with the 229-game Tiger set to remain a key figure in Richmond's defence.
Tigers football boss Tim Livingstone spoke on Nankervis' leadership and thanked Grimes for his service in the role.
โOur players and coaches respect how Toby goes about his football and leadership,โ Livingstone said.
โHe demands high standards, keeps his messaging precise, and always puts the team first with his attitude, which is a trait that Adem (Yze), our staff, and administration particularly admired in making this decision.
โToby has been an excellent captain across the past two years with Dylan, and he will continue to blossom as an individual and leader with the responsibility that comes with him now being our sole skipper.
โDylan has been a leader at Richmond for a long period and has decided to take a step back from everything that captaining an AFL club entails."
Nankervis and Grimes made up Richmond's entire leadership group this year, likely meaning a new batch of supporting leaders will be named ahead of the 2024 season's start.
