Gun former Suns shine to nab top jobs for Southport Sharks
FORMER Gold Coast Suns teammates Andrew Boston and Seb Tape have been named co-captains of the Southport Sharks for the upcoming NEAFL season.
And they will be joined in a completely new-look leadership group for the Sharks by Todd Grayson, Jordan Keras and Adam McKenzie, all named as vice-captains.
While Boston is new to the captaincy caper, Tape is well versed in what it takes to be an on-field leader.
Now 24, Tape was captain of the South Australia side that finished second to Victoria Metro, beaten on a countback, at the 2010 national under-18 championships.
He played alongside Boston at the Suns from 2013 to 2015 after being brought north in the 2010 national AFL draft.
“I wanted to get to work and get the respect of the playing group as soon as I joined the Sharks,” Tape said of his appointment.
“We have a lot of new guys coming in and the side will definitely be better than what you saw last weekend.
“I’m sure the longer we go the better we’ll get.”
Boston, a Southport junior until the age of 14, is into his second year at Musgrave Hill after a 16-match stint in the AFL with the Suns.
The Sharks have opted for a whole new look at the top of the playing group. Last year the club had a five-strong leadership group of Ben Headland (captain), Jason Burge (2014 captain), Evan Panozza, Glenn Screech and James Holland.
Head coach Nathan Bock said the club’s football committee had a long think about the 2017 captaincy.
“Obviously we had a long discussion about the captaincy,” Bock said.
“I think Tapey brings a lot of professionalism the way he goes about it at training and out on the field and he loves to get players involved. Bosto is a bit younger and I believe he has plenty of care for the club and the group.
“He’s very team oriented and is one who brings the boys together and he wants to improve and succeed. Also I believe that Seb and Andrew will be around the club for quite a few more years.”