Gifted onballer Shaun Burgoyne appears set to captain AFL club Port Adelaide after Warren Tredrea today relinquished the role.

Tredrea said he had given up his dream job of leading the Power to fully focus on his personal preparation for his closing AFL seasons.

The 29-year-old will exit the club's leadership group, to be decided next week, and his successor will be known around Christmas.

Burgoyne, 26, captained Port last season during injury enforced absences of Tredrea, and represents generational change for the Power.

His main captaincy rivals appear tainted by age - Chad Cornes and Dean Brogan will be 30 and 31 respectively next season.

Cornes' younger brother Kane, 25, and Dom Cassisi, 26, were also mooted by Port coach Mark Williams today as candidates.

Williams was approached by Tredrea last month when the forward told of his wish to stand down after a club record 96 games as captain.

"The choice is to step out of the leadership group," Tredrea said today.

"As a Port Adelaide boy from day one, it has been a dream and it has been an honour and something I will always cherish.

"(But) we have got a lot of younger guys who are definitely waiting in the wings for the opportunity to captain the club and I want to be around so I can help them in their early stages."

Tredrea, Port's acting captain in their 2004 premiership, intimated his vice-captain Burgoyne was his likely heir apparent.

"There are a couple of guys who have really come a long way in their leadership and you don't have to be Einstein to work out who they are," Tredrea said.