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“Natural born leader”: Lyon flags potential Port Adelaide captaincy error
Jaiden Sciberras • April 9th, 2025 3:50 pm
Garry Lyon is of the belief that Port Adelaide may have missed the mark in making Connor Rozee captain.
After a poor start to the season, hallmarked by their 17-point home loss to St Kilda last weekend, Lyon believes that the club is scarce of true leadership from their captain.
Referencing Hawthorn’s great captain shake-up in 2010, Lyon believes that the Power may need to hand over the leadership reins to Zak Butters, as the club houses a ready-made leader amongst the ranks.
“I’m looking at Connor Rozee on the weekend who is going okay,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“I think he might be Port Adelaide’s Sam Mitchell, and Zak Butters might be Port Adelaide’s Luke Hodge.
“Sam Mitchell was a premiership captain so this might sound silly, but in the end, they realised that he wasn’t the captain of that footy club.
“Luke Hodge was the natural leader; he was the one they gravitated to.
“Personalities at that time were different, and to Hawthorn’s credit, they made a call on the premiership captain because they go ‘you’re not a captain, he is the captain’."
Through four games in 2025, Rozee has averaged 29 disposals and four clearances, while Butters accumulated 30 disposals, nine clearances and five tackles in his return from injury against the Saints.
“I’m wondering, as I’m watching this unfold over the last year or two," Lyon continued.
"I have great respect for Connor I think he’s a fantastic player, but just because he is the best player doesn’t make him the best captain.
“I think Zak Butters is the natural leader of that football club, as Luke Hodge was for the Hawthorn Football Club.
“I’m not saying he (Rozee) is a terrible leader, I’m sure he’s got leadership qualities.
“But when you’ve got one sitting there… as Luke Hodge was sitting there.
“He was the man, and Sam had taken them to a premiership. You go ‘you can’t take the captaincy off the premiership captain!’.
“Well good clubs look at it and go ‘you can, because while you’re a good captain Sam, this bloke is a batter captain', and Luke Hodge went on to be one of the great leaders of the AFL, ever.
“They might turn around and say, ‘Zak is great, but he’s also racked up 50 grand in fines because he can’t quite control himself’, so maybe that’s their thinking.
“I’m on the outside looking in thinking, Zak Butters, Luke Hodge, natural born leader. Whether they will get there or not I don’t know.”
Port will look to get their season back on track when they host the unbeaten Hawthorn on Sunday night to cap off Gather Round.
