Carter Capner Law - 2019 Senior Leaders Named
Andrew Thomson
The Senior leadership group for the Western Magpies was announced to the playing group in recent weeks. With the club blessed with an outstanding group of experienced and emerging leaders, it was an exhaustive process to arrive with the final outcome.
Local Sherwood junior, David Lewis has played with the Magpies since 2003 when he joined the U8’s continues a strong tradition of local kids captaining the club, following in the footsteps of recent club juniors in Drew Mitchell, Lachlan Woods, Gerard Moore and the long serving Chris Mihalopoulos who all played their junior footy at Sherwood.
Having been a Sherwood junior coming up through the ranks, David is a stalwart of the club already at just 24 years old and in addition to donning the black & white more than 200 times across junior and senior football - he has also assisted with coaching junior and youth football during his senior playing days.
Having represented QLD at junior level and also being part of the 2017 QAFL Representative side, Dave brings genuine star power to the Magpies side to compliment is excellent leadership qualities.
We congratulate David Lewis on being the Senior QAFL Captain for 2019.
The senior Vice-Captain for 2019 has been on an entirely different journey as a new signing for the 2019 season, though having played at the Magpies since 2014 via his NEAFL alignments, he is already well and truly recognised and respected by all at the Magpies.
Jack Goodall re-located from the Port Douglas Crocs back in 2012 to pursue his football with Redlands, completing Year 12 as part of a football scholarship program and also being part of the Gold Coast Suns Academy. He suffered a freak ear injury in a NEAFL game in Canberra keeping him out of football for a long period, as well as suffering some ankle troubles over the years.
Jack was aligned to the Magpies in 2014 and as a result has played close to 30 senior games in that period and is a welcome addition to the club as both a permanent member of the playing list, but also as the 2019 Senior Vice Captain.
In addition to David and Jack, the club has appointed a further two deputy Vice-Captains and 3 additional members of the leadership group.
Riley Easton and Luke Mitchell will be the 2019 Deputy Vice Captains.
Riley played some scintillating footy in 2019 to take out the QAFL Rising Star, which was remarkable in itself coming 4 seasons after he made his QAFL Senior debut as a 16 year old in 2015. Injury troubles with a knee reconstruction in 2016 hampered his senior progression for a few years, before he exploded back into life in 2018 injury free.
Luke Mitchell is another local club junior like his older brother Drew, and is the son of club legend and multiple premiership player Steve Mitchell. Having played at the club throughout his junior and youth footy years, Luke had a few years off in 2012 and 2013 when he pursued and elite swimming career before returning to the club in 2014 and slipping straight back into senior football racking up 83 senior games in that time.
Rounding out the leadership group will be Aaron Highlands, Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams - a mix of youth and experience.
Highlands played his junior football with Coorparoo before having a single season at Yeronga as an 18 year old having not played football since U14’s. He joined the Magpies Colts in 2016 before rapidly progressing to become an integral member of the senior side in 2017 carrying the #1 ruck duties as an undersized 19 year old and winning the coveted BG Award.
Both Ryan Harwood and Claye Beams need no further introduction, bringing Senior AFL experience to what is still a relatively young Magpie team. Harwood in his 2nd season at the club is an established leader within the group, while Beams is a Premiership winning NEAFL Captain for the Brisbane Lions with established and obvious leadership qualities.
We congratulate all of our 2019 leaders on their appointments: