For Crows duo Isaac Cumming and Riley Thilthorpe, the 2026 season is set to mark more than just another campaign - it will signal a shift in responsibility.

After forging different paths to this point - Thilthorpe as the Club’s No.2 selection in the 2020 Draft and Cumming joining the Crows from GWS at the end of 2024 - the pair has been elevated to the Crows’ leadership group for the first time.

Being added to the group is recognition of their growth and influence within the squad, as well as the impact they had on the Crows’ resurgence on-and-off the field in 2025.

In an in-depth chat with AFC Media, Cumming and Thilthorpe offered fans an insight into how their leadership will take shape, what the appointment means to them, and how the new-look group will work together towards sustained success.

The honour of being chosen

Cumming and Thilthorpe were told of their elevation into the Crows’ 2026 leadership group on Tuesday morning during a team meeting.

The pair will be joined by Alex Neal-Bullen and Ben Keays (vice captains), as well as Darcy Fogarty and Reilly O’Brien in the group to support fourth-year Skipper Jordan Dawson.

This is what Cumming and Thilthorpe had to say after they were told.

Cumming: “I am truly honoured to be a part of our leadership group, but I think I am more honoured just to be a part of this footy Club, and a part of this team.

“Every opportunity I get to play on the weekend for this Club, that’s where I want to prioritise my focus. 

“Leadership will just come naturally off that, so the focus this year is just to play well and lead well.

“It’s very special. Feedback at any time from anyone is something that you cherish, but because it is such a formal process to identify who we see as our leaders, to be mentioned in those conversations and furthermore be added into that group is truly an honour.”

Thilthorpe: “It’s very special. The Club has always had such strong leaders and pillars of the community that I’ve always looked up to.

“To be a leader now is pretty cool, and something I probably wasn’t expecting this early in my career, but I feel like I’ve come a long way in the past couple of years and there’s still plenty to go.

“I was a little bit surprised, we had a bit of a feedback session not long ago, so it was cool to get some positive feedback there.

“But still being pretty young I wasn’t expecting anything, but I am really excited to be part of the group and for the games to start.

“The footy stuff, you need to be consistent on-field, to be a good leader, and I’ve got my game to a level where I can do that week-in-week-out, which is good.”

What they’ll add to the leadership group

Cumming and Thilthorpe have one similar trait when it comes to their leadership philosophies - and that is authenticity.

Upon being elevated into the leadership group, 27-year-old Cumming and 23-year-old Thilthorpe said being their true selves, as well as leading by example would be important parts of their roles.

Cumming: “The things that I’ve learned have always been ‘lead how you lead’ and don’t fake it, don’t fraud it, so that’s what I plan to do.

“I just want to grow as a player as well, not just a leader.

“I just want to lead the way and I feel like I can through a lot of energy. I like to come to the Club and try and have as much fun as I can and equally work as hard as I can.

“I feel like I’ve got a good balance between getting to work and making sure I am doing the little things well and training hard.

“The plan will be to keep doing what I’m doing, bring good energy around the club and working hard, as well as competing as best as I can when games come around.”

Thilthorpe: “I think just being my authentic self. The way I lead is different to the way Daws leads, or the way Tex used to lead.

“I just try to be authentic and pride myself on training standards and doing all the little things right, so that’s what I’ve tried to develop and keep growing.

“I try to be a leader on-field as much as I can, and help the boys off-field, too, so to be recognised for that is pretty cool.

“I think it’s really important to have a positive influence on the group, I’ve spent a lot of time working on my own game and where I can positively influence game-day, and then I just try to be myself and do the little things right.

“I try to lend an ear to the younger boys, I think it’s good to have someone a bit younger to be a bridge between the older boys and the younger boys to keep us together.”

The leadership mix

Upon reflecting on the group’s dynamics, with Dawson at the helm again, both Cumming and Thilthorpe said each player had different styles and strengths that complemented one-another.

Cumming: “At the Giants, the leadership group was full of some unbelievable people, and some unbelievable players. Each one of them led in their own way, and it allows you to see through the different lenses. That’s what we’ve got here at the Crows. I reckon all seven of us bring something different to the group, which I think will work really well.

“The boys in the group are some of the best humans I’ve ever met.

“I’ve become very close with Nibbler (Neal-Bullen) since the moment we walked through the doors together, I look up to him in a lot of ways, especially as a new father.

“The way he speaks about parenting and footy and his first year of it gives me great confidence that I can still have a really good year.

“And Daws as our Skipper, he’s one of the best in the business and the most humble superstar in the whole competition. You look at Reilly O’Brien, Filthy, Fog, Keaysey, they’re all just incredible humans and incredible footy players.”

Thilthorpe: “It’s so good to be in the group with these guys. They all bring the group together and make everyone feel a part of it, which is awesome.

“It’s something I really admire about all those boys, they all have different strengths, so I will try to pick their brains on different things.”