Herald Sun football writer Glenn McFarlane rates the best AFL captains of 2014 so far

VOTE: NICK Riewoldt, Joel Selwood or Luke Hodge? Glenn McFarlane names the AFL’s standout skippers of 2014 — and those struggling in the job.

WE’VE only completed six rounds so far and already the captains of most of the 18 AFL clubs have created their fair share of headlines — good, bad and indifferent.

And some of the bad has turned to good in the past few weeks. Just ask Carlton’s Marc Murphy, who has almost willed his team over the line recently after copping some intensely personal criticism.

Or Trent Cotchin, who has also come in for his fair share of debate, given Richmond’s poor start to the season.

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And even the inspirational pairing of Swans Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack have had moderate starts to the season. Both are gun players who will be pushing for elevation as the season rolls on.

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For first-year skipper, Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury, it could hardly have been a more difficult start to the season as he oversaw a 70-point opening round loss to Freo before a stunning second round turnaround.

Then, there’s been the injured leaders, North Melbourne’s Andrew Swallow and Adelaide’s Nathan Van Berlo, who are yet to play a senior game this season due to injury, as well as Bulldogs new leader Ryan Griffen who had a frustrating pre-season and has taken some time to hit his strides.

THE 10 BEST CAPTAINS OF 2014 SO FAR — IN ORDER

News_Image_File: Joel Selwood and his team have been outstanding so far in 2014, the Cats leader often spilling blood for his side. Picture: Simon Cross

1. JOEL SELWOOD (Geelong)

Outstanding start to 2014, but who would have expected anything less. Somehow Selwood was able to shrug off a pre-season hamstring issue to barely miss a beat in his six games to date. Leads by example and workrate as much as words, but who wouldn’t be inspired by playing alongside this bloke. Might well be leading the Brownlow Medal too.

2. NICK RIEWOLDT (St Kilda)

By the end of this season Riewoldt will pass Danny Frawley as the longest serving Saints captain in terms of games, and there is an argument to suggest he has never done a better job. Riewoldt’s knees might be shot and he might be on the wrong side of 30, but this bloke has been incredible this season. As a leader, he has willed the Saints over the line on a few occasions. Sure, there must be a bit of a concern about who is going to replace him in the future, but for the moment he is doing a ripping job.

News_Image_File: Gary Ablett’s form has propelled the Suns to a 4-2 start. Picture: Adam Head

3. GARY ABLETT (Gold Coast)

Remember the time a few years ago when the doubters kept saying Ablett wasn’t captaincy material. Could they have been more wrong? Adjudged as the All-Australian captain in 2011, Ablett has continued to blossom in the role with the young Suns and is now an exceptional leader. His reward might end up one day becoming a premiership captain — and it might not be all that far in the distance.

News_Rich_Media: Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak says even he didn't expect the club to turn their fortunes around so quickly.

4. TRAVIS BOAK (Port Adelaide)

Made a massive career decision when he knocked back lucrative offers from Victorian clubs, including Geelong, in 2012 to try to help lift Port Adelaide out of the doldrums. And that’s happened a fair bit quicker than anyone could have imagined. Boak has done a superb job since becoming the Power’s captain last year, and has shown even greater maturity in the role this season. His leadership is one of the many pillars that have pushed the Power to the top of the AFL ladder. Just take a look at the AFL Coaches’ Association and you will learn how much Boak is valued.

5. SCOTT PENDLEBURY (Collingwood)

No. 5 with a bullet. By the end of the season he might be right near the top of the tree. Pendlebury had been understudy to Nick Maxwell for a few season, but he has thrived on taking the main role this season. Has had a seamless transition to job, and has importantly carried on the form that has him as one of the elite footballers in the competition. Already a super leader in his debut season as skipper.

6. LUKE HODGE (Hawthorn)

How could you leave out the reigning premiership skipper? When it is Luke Hodge, you simply can’t. Hodge’s form has been solid rather than spectacular this season (mind you, he was pretty bloody good against the Tigers last week). But, behind the scenes, it has been the captain who has helped to push the club’s flag defence as much as anyone else. A leader’s leader.

News_Image_File: Callan Ward has been a standout since joining GWS. Picture: Michael Klein

7. CALLAN WARD (Greater Western Sydney)

If Ward had stayed at the Western Bulldogs, he might well be their captain right now. But he opted to take up the lucrative offer of helping build a club from scratch. And he’s earned every penny. Ward has given the young Giants great leadership this season, especially in the absence of injured co-captain Phil Davis. His strength of character was on display last week when he played well, despite suffering a head knock a week earlier.

8. JOBE WATSON (Essendon)

Hasn’t been a great season for Watson so far this season, but he’s surely not to blame for Essendon’s frustrating start. Besides, he’s still got a few credits in the bank from last season when he was in the upper echelon for performance and leadership against the odds. Still the Bombers’ most important player and leads as much by example as anything else.

News_Image_File: Often underrated, Nathan Jones continues to deliver for the Dees. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

9. NATHAN JONES (Melbourne)

How was this bloke not Melbourne’s captain a few years ago? It seems remarkable that he wasn’t. Appointed as co-captain with Jack Grimes this season, Jones has enjoyed a strong start to the season and has provided plenty of leadership for his young side. His signature game was his blanket job on Carlton’s Marc Murphy.

10. MATTHEW PAVLICH (Fremantle)

Just nudges out the pair of Trent Cotchin and Marc Murphy as well as Swans pair Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack. Pav has been an exceptional leader for so long with the Dockers and not much has changed in 2014, with the forward already kicking 14 goals. The mark of a leader is performing well when your team is down. He’s done that, kicking good hauls against Hawthorn and against Sydney in losses.

News_Image_File: Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich has been the Dockers’ main target in attack.

JUST MISSED OUT ...

COMING WITH A BULLET

Suspect Marc Murphy will push his way into this list within a matter of weeks. His performance against West Coast was first rate and given time he should develop into a good leader.

NEED SOME MORE HELP

Trent Cotchin has been Richmond’s most consistency player this season but that’s not saying too much. Like Murphy, he will continue to get better in the role. Don’t panic about him — or Murphy — just yet.

Vote for this year’s top captain in the poll below (Adelaide skipper Nathan van Berlo and Kangaroo Andrew Swallow are missing due to long-term injuries):

News_Image_File: Trent Cotchin (centre) has been reliable for the Tigers this year, but he may need a little more help from his teammates. Picture: Colleen Petch.