James Tsitas and Aaron Black have been announced as co-captains of Geelong’s 2019 VFL side.



The pair will lead a five-man leadership group which includes Campbell Floyd, Jordan Keras and Dean Gore.



The new duo takes over from 2018 captain Tom Atkins after he was taken in the rookie draft.



Black is one of the most popular figures at the club and has had a strong impact on the VFL squad over the preseason, while juggling an AFLW coaching role and his rehab from a knee reconstruction.



Fellow skipper Tsitas brings a wealth of VFL experience to the role, with 82 games under his belt.



Tsitas was an integral part of the Cats’ leadership group in 2018 and believes he is ready to take the next step in leading the side.



“This is now my sixth year of VFL footy, and I’ve always tried to lead the team even if I didn’t have a title,” Tsitas said.



“Tom was a great leader last year and there were definitely some things I learnt from him.



“I’m happy that the boys and the rest of the football club saw me in that light and that they trust me to lead the VFL team, it’s a great honour.”



James Tsitas in action last year.





The 2017 Best & Fairest winner is pleased to have Black by his side and hopes that they can form a strong partnership.



“It offers a support network for me to have Blacky there, I’m looking forward to working with him and we can hopefully help the boys achieve a successful year,” Tsitas said.



“Blacky has had that AFL experience and played at a high level, so I’m really looking forward to what he can offer the boys.”



With an influx of new draftees at the football club, the VFL leaders will play a crucial role in their development.



“That’s always the case with VFL, every year we get a new influx of players so it’s really important that we stay patient and help those players learn as quickly as possible,” Tsitas said.



The rest of the five-man leadership team all bring something different to the group and will be a great support network for the co-captains, Tsitas believes.



“There are some fantastic leaders, Jordan Keras has been around a long time and is just a natural born leader,” he said.



“Floydy is a new one in the group but he has increased his voice around training over the past year.



“Dean Gore missed last year (through injury) but he is just a natural leader and obviously has a wealth of experience having played in the AFL system.”



Many of the new leaders will feature in the VFL Cats’ first practice match against Essendon on Thursday.