Captains

[Wardy]

Good, its not just me. This is what I was bleeting on about all game (sorry to the mob in front), the lack of leadership. We have so many kids in now, and so little instinctive reaction as they don't know yet each other's games under pressure. Where was the organisation and leadership? They got lost so often; gosh its been a while since I have been so peed off about one of our games. Guess this is the one we had to have. Or not.

no not just you - I was surprised when I heard he got it in the first place. One captain is fine, either Goods or Jude - I'm still missing Paul Kelly though.

[Cheer Squad]

I hope Hanners has stepped up to the mark in the next 5 years too.

I'd rather see him become our next Brownlow medallist. He's probably too introspective to handle the burden of captaincy. But you never know.

[Xie Shan]

I do like McVeigh as a player, but I have to admit before the season started I did think Jude would have been the logical choice as immediate successor to brett kirk in terms of the ethos that both players shared. Don't get me wrong, McVeigh could still be the a great captain of the club, but Jude and Brett were so close on the field that it might have proved a smoother transition, we have already seen Jude passing on lessons to younger players like Josh Kennedy:

''Over the last 10 years there wouldn't be too many people in the league who have been to more stoppages than Jude Bolton and Brett Kirk. They have the experience that no one can really teach and they are able to draw on those experiences over a long time and help younger players like Josh.''

Bolton's mentoring of Kennedy proves the wisdom of on-the-job succession planning

[Big Al]

Jude Bolton is the only one that covers both the on field and off field stuff the captain must do. He leads by example on field and is articulate off it. Only the inner sanctum knows why they went with the McVeigh and Goodes but from the outside looking in it does not seem like an inspired choice.

[Primmy]

OK, think we need to rethink the macca bash going on here. He is respected by the players, he is a quiet achiever, he is intelligent, he is not flashy, he can play. Cast your minds back to 2003 (I think) first year Stuey was captain. It took that year for him to get around how to handle captaining the side. He was/is very much a behind the scenes man, so it wasn't a natural transition, just a "just" one. Tried to do too much (on the ground that is, off it he was manufacturing the building blocks of rebuilding the ownership of the game by the players).

Point I am making is that macca is still learning the job. He has support from within and he has Goodsey. Look at the mishmash that happened at St Kilda when they had a rotating captaincy. Might have been nice for the captains, but it was an unsettling procedure and ultimately did not do much good. All of the guys need time. Including Macca. I am not a massive fan, but at present I can't think of anyone else I would choose. And no, not even Jude. Not now.

As for Kizza. He is too much of a "lad" to want to be captain imho. Maybe I am wrong, somehow I think not.

The cream will rise in due course. Off the record, I would give the captaincy to Bulldog as an intelligent, diligent, game savvy Swan. But if NicMal's name crops up, I would not be surprised.

[ernie koala]

If we are to hand out the captaincy to players with good consistency we probably would have to swap captains every week...
Or give it to the guys who have only been here a few years :/

So if you are all saying no to Mcveigh, who do you replace him with?
So moving forward, is Jack the next co-captain after Goodes?
Personally I think you are discounting the traits that Jarrad has off the field. Yes on field leadership is very important but having a good work ethic towards training is also important. Goodes inspires the team on field, Jarred pushes them off field.
Lets also not forget he is only 26, he may be captaining this team for another 5 years.

We've got plenty of consistent players. Being consistent doesn't necessarily mean 28 poss's and 3 goals every week. It's having a consistent approach to the way you play. It means never shirking a contest. It means contesting to the last second even when your opponent has beaten you. It means bringing others into a game where they've been struggling. It means inspiring those around you.
I see little of these traits in McVeigh, training hard doesn't separate him from others, nearly all players train hard...they won't get a game if they don't.
As others have said, Jude, an extremely consistent player, would of seemed an obvious choice. Jack is another with great credentials, Hannas' looks a leader to me. Everitt.....only joking.
The point is there are plenty on this team with leadership credentials.

[Big Al]

If you look at our leaders since the early 90's (Kelly, Maxfield, and Kirk) they were all wonderful leaders of men in their own way and had that x factor that made them great captains. I just don't see Macca as a great captain but will be more than happy to eat humble pie if he proves me wrong.

[Big Al]

As for Kizza. He is too much of a "lad" to want to be captain imho. Maybe I am wrong, somehow I think not. .

You may well be right but at the Ressies played at TDL stadium, Kizza sat near the interchange and was pretty vocal with all the boys going on and off. He's a "lad" no question but this was a different side to him than what you usually see. It wouldn't surprise me if Kizza captains this club somewhere down the track.

[ScottH]

OK, think we need to rethink the macca bash going on here. He is respected by the players, he is a quiet achiever, he is intelligent, he is not flashy, he can play. Cast your minds back to 2003 (I think) first year Stuey was captain. It took that year for him to get around how to handle captaining the side. He was/is very much a behind the scenes man, so it wasn't a natural transition, just a "just" one. Tried to do too much (on the ground that is, off it he was manufacturing the building blocks of rebuilding the ownership of the game by the players).

Point I am making is that macca is still learning the job. He has support from within and he has Goodsey. Look at the mishmash that happened at St Kilda when they had a rotating captaincy. Might have been nice for the captains, but it was an unsettling procedure and ultimately did not do much good. All of the guys need time. Including Macca. I am not a massive fan, but at present I can't think of anyone else I would choose. And no, not even Jude. Not now.

As for Kizza. He is too much of a "lad" to want to be captain imho. Maybe I am wrong, somehow I think not.

The cream will rise in due course. Off the record, I would give the captaincy to Bulldog as an intelligent, diligent, game savvy Swan. But if NicMal's name crops up, I would not be surprised.

Difference between Macca and Maxy, Maxy was already a well respected player. Even before we got him.
His flowing locks, booming left boot, ripping down the wing (with locks flowing). He was already a star.

Kelly, well not much more to say, an outright champion, who could do the amazing. His efforts on the field made him well respected.

[ernie koala]

You may well be right but at the Ressies played at TDL stadium, Kizza sat near the interchange and was pretty vocal with all the boys going on and off. He's a "lad" no question but this was a different side to him than what you usually see. It wouldn't surprise me if Kizza captains this club somewhere down the track.

Yeah I agree...Anyway what is it about being a so called "lad" that would interfere with captaincy. Thats just rubbish..Kel was a bit of a lad, I think we all agree he went ok.

[Jewels]

I agree with the above. IMO he is a woeful choice, his form is patchy at best. His body language on the field is often poor...Hands out, "why didn't you kick it to me" routine.
Horse has tied his own hands on this one. Captains don't have to be your best players....Kirk, Maxwell and Harley spring to mind as captains that steer (or steered in Kirks and Harleys case), their clubs direction on and off the field.
These guys are leaders. McVeigh shows none of these skills, and on top of that he's an inconsistent player. Which is something no leader can get away with.

This is one of my biggest beefs with McVeigh as captain, he gave a fearful spray to Mcglynn on sunday for not kicking to him and when the chips are down, so are McVeighs shoulders - his body language is certainly not the stuff of a strong leader.

Jude Bolton is the only one that covers both the on field and off field stuff the captain must do. He leads by example on field and is articulate off it. Only the inner sanctum knows why they went with the McVeigh and Goodes but from the outside looking in it does not seem like an inspired choice.

My thoughts too Al.

[Rob-bloods]

Mc Veighs form was average last year, I simply cannot believe that he is inspirational by word, and seeing him drop off consistently in tackles is hardly inspiring by deed. That was a really strange decision and if they did not know who to choose, then give it to Jude for 12 months who really is inspirational ON the field. Selection on match day, selection of Captains, tactical moves (or often lack of them) gives me some real (albeit early) worries about our coaching box.

[Cheer_Cheer]

Kizza would get my vote.. Though Nipper has the public speaking skills I like in a captain

[ScottH]

Kizza would get my vote.. Though Nipper has the public speaking skills I like in a captain

you can @@@@@@@ say that again.

[Big Al]

you can @@@@@@@ say that again.

For @@@@ sake Scott, watch the language.