Nathan van Berlo's the man to lead the Crows

VOICES from the terraces have been laying into Nathan van Berlo but to question his captaincy at this stage is a bag of nonsense.

Nathan van Berlo

VOICES from the terraces have been laying into Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo but to question his captaincy at this stage is a bag of nonsense.

Commentators have weighed in and the most common suggestion is that Patrick Dangerfield is the man for the job.

SCROLL DOWN TO TAKE THE POLL - SHOULD VAN BERLO BE REPLACED AS CROWS SKIPPER?

There is no question Dangerfield has all the credentials: a level head, star quality, a sense of humour and perspective.

He has become the club's marquee player just like Jonathan Brown stands for Brisbane and Wayne Carey stood for North Melbourne.

But being the best player and being suited to the role are not reasons weighty enough to tip out van Berlo.

Dangerfield is still young, even though it appears he has the right level of maturity to lead.

The question should be who's best equipped to lead the side, to help Brenton Sanderson get the most out of the players, rather than who is the best player in the side.

Two of the most accomplished and respected captains in the game in recent years have been Geelong's Tom Harley and Collingwood's Nick Maxwell, and nobody ever suggested they were their club's best players.

But they were their club's best leaders.

VAN BERLO KICKS FORM DOUBTS ASIDE

There is one criterion the captain must meet: he must be an automatic first-choice player, because there is something that doesn't feel right if the captain is in doubt at the selection table.

But he doesn't have to be any better than that as a player.

It was put to van Berlo that there had been much discussion about his captaincy this week and instead of taking offense, he dealt with it in a calm and rational manner.

The gist of his response was this: he had dealt with doubters ever since he was handed the captaincy and he would use the criticism of his form and the questions over his captaincy to work even harder.

Players such as van Berlo, Maxwell and Harley offer something meaningful that star players do not always add: the example of what hard work and good citizenship can lead to, what can be achieved even though they were not blessed with remarkable talents that feature in highlight reels.

Those who have seen van Berlo in his dealings with fans, sponsors and media outlets have also seen how he keeps his composure, keeps his ego out of it when challenged and puts his team first.

There may be a handover at some stage, when Dangerfield is ready to lead the Crows.

You know the best part? Van Berlo would not sook for one minute.

But he is the captain for this season and as long as Sanderson sees him as the best man to be the link between the brass and the players he should remain Adelaide's captain.

That last point is important. It should always be the coach's call.

Clubs in the past have flirted with giving players a big influence in the selection of leaders and it is fraught with danger because it can turn the process into a popularity contest.

It is why Ken Hinkley's appointment of Travis Boak has worked so well.

Hinkley spoke to Dom Cassisi, the former captain, he spoke to his assistant coaches and he would have watched how the players interacted. But it was his call.

It must be Sanderson's call at West Lakes, and he continues to back van Berlo, whose own form has suffered because he has been shifted around this season to plug holes.