On Saturday, the AFL caught a glimpse of Gold Coast’s future leaders when the likes of vice-captains David Swallow and Dion Prestia lifted brilliantly to cover the absence of injured skipper Gary Ablett.

Now, the game will get a further insight into the club’s leadership depth with the vacant captaincy to be rotated among the remaining five-man player leadership group following Ablett’s decision to undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder on Wednesday.

Current senior team players Swallow, Prestia, Tom Lynch and Michael Rischitelli will all be given an opportunity to shoulder the responsibility of being ‘skipper’, with the latter to captain the side against the Western Bulldogs in Cairns this Saturday.

General Manager - Football Operations, Marcus Ashcroft, revealed senior coach Guy McKenna had addressed the player leadership group of the decision on Wednesday morning.

“Guy (McKenna) spoke to the leadership group today and we are going to give every one of our vice-captains the chance to lead over the next seven weeks,” Ashcroft said.

“But starting this week, given his experience and age, Michael Rischitelli will captain the side against the Western Bulldogs.”

“From week to week, (we’ll) give them a chance to lead and they all lead in their own special ways, but Michael will take on the role this week because he has the experience in that space.”

Although he has been ruled out for the remaining premiership rounds, Ashcroft said Ablett would still play an integral role off the field in developing Gold Coast’s emerging front-runners.

“He will, no doubt,” the GC SUNS football boss confirmed.

“Once he’s had his surgery and he’s come back and he’s around the club, I’m sure from afar he will offer up advice to all his teammates.

“That is why he has been such an exceptional player for our football club.”