Since taking over as Captain of the Adelaide Football Club prior to the 2023 season, Jordan Dawson admits he has experienced significant personal growth. 

On the field, he has developed himself into one of the competition’s premier players, claiming three straight Club Champion awards, two All-Australian blazers (2023 and 2025) and a fourth placed finish in last year’s Brownlow Medal. 

Off-field, he has worked tirelessly to evolve his leadership style, and help guide his teammates to become the best they can be. 

Speaking to AFC Media as he prepares for his fourth season at the helm, Dawson opened up on his leadership journey and how he has improved since taking on the top job. 

“I think early on I was trying to force a lot of things and force my style of leadership on the group,” Dawson said. 

“But now I’m a lot more comfortable in where I sit as a leader, I know my strengths and I know my growth areas. 

“I’m much more willing to delegate and allow the other leaders to plant their leadership style on the group and allow them to flourish a bit more, which has been one of my main goals. 

“I’ve been really keen to empower the younger guys coming through to be leaders as well, so I’m not forcing things for myself, rather getting others involved and bringing everybody along for the journey.” 

Dawson’s collaborative style has rubbed off on his team, with a number of young players showing progression in their leadership journey. 

When it comes to the next generation of leaders, Dawson identified three names that were leading the charge. 

“There’s heaps of young guys coming through and growing in that leadership space which is great to see,” Dawson said. 

“The main ones are probably Filthy (Riley Thilthorpe), Rash (Josh Rachele) and Max (Michalanney), I think those three have come so far in the past three years. 

“They are definitely standing out as the next crop of leaders coming through and the guys that will help lead the Club for many years.” 

Although looking to the future is a critical part of his role, equally as important is the balance of staying present. 

The Robe-product explained how the honour of captaining the Club he grew up supporting was imperative in keeping him grounded. 

“It’s a massive honour, I definitely need to sit back and reflect at times throughout the year to enjoy it and understand just how lucky I am to be in this position,” Dawson said. 

“To Captain such a big Club with such a passionate supporter base, it’s a massive honour for me and something I never thought I would do growing up. 

“To be in this position, I’m very fortunate and grateful for the opportunity that I have.” 

The 2026 pre-season has been a short, but insightful, period for Dawson and his team - as they strive to improve on last year’s semi-final finish. 

He said he was confident in the work the group had done across the summer, and touched on the impact of long term injuries to Mark Keane and Dan Curtin. 

“Personally I’m feeling incredibly positive in my body and have been able to get through the whole pre-season, so overall very confident in myself heading into the season,” Dawson said. 

“I’m also really confident in the group, we’ve unfortunately had a couple of injuries but that’s because we’ve been really pushing the limits and constantly striving to be better. 

“Pre-season is so much shorter now than it used to be, so you’ve got to come back ready which we always do and be able to push yourself to the limits - which is where injuries sometimes come. 

“Seeing those two boys (Keane and Curtin) obviously rocked the group a bit, and it’s always tough to see your teammates go through injuries, but we have been great in coming together and I’m confident we’ve got the depth to cover them.” 

That depth has been on show throughout the pre-season according to Dawson, with a number of players putting together stand-out summers. 

“I think it’s definitely the best depth we’ve had since I’ve been at the Club,” Dawson said. 

“Luke Nankervis is one that has trained at a really high level all summer and is pushing hard for one of those back spots,” Dawson said. 

“Bondy (Hugh Bond) is another one in that same boat, he’s trained incredibly well and is pushing to lock down one of those spots. 

“Riley Thilthorpe has been going really well, Sam Berry and James Peatling have really stood out through the midfield and Josh Rachele is another one that has gone through there and impressed. 

“It just seems like there are so many guys going well at the moment, which is an incredibly exciting place for us to be.”