Captain’s corner: Mick Malthouse on the best leaders in the AFL
CAPTAINCY has taken on a whole new meaning in today’s game. MICK MALTHOUSE gives his take on whether your club’s skipper can lead it to a premiership. VOTE
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Not always first down the race. No longer calling heads or tails every single week. Captaincy has taken on a whole new meaning in today’s game of football.
As we advance on finals, the captain’s role will become even more important.
Finals can be won or lost with leadership — it can be the captain who stands up versus the captain who accepts what is taking place.
FORMER CHAIRMAN: HOW BOMBERS SACKED SHEEDY
BIG DECISION: IS BUCKS STILL THE RIGHT MAN TO LEAD PIES
It was always the best player who was appointed skipper. Courageous, inspirational, and a strong leader.
But today the captain’s responsibilities off the ground are as great as on field.
So choosing the right leader for your club is harder than ever.
Age is no barrier when picking a captain.
They should be popular, but strong enough to stand up to teammates and pull them into line.
ROAMING BRIAN: THE GENESIS OF BT’S ROOM INVASION
He must have a team-first mentality. He needs to remain calm and respond quickly and intelligently when things go wrong, and provide courageous acts without hesitation to inspire a lift.
Most importantly he has to back the game plan and assure that it is being run correctly during a game.
Off field they are on show as much as the coach, and thus get judged as harshly. They must present well and enforce the party line.
**Today could prove pivotal for two captains given the reins for the first time this year.
Essendon is in with a good chance of playing finals if it beats Brisbane, and Hawthorn’s remote hopes would be given a boost with a win over Collingwood.
The Bombers’ Dyson Heppell is deemed to be living in the shadow of Jobe Watson, who captained with such intensity before and during the Essendon’s drug saga.
Heppell is clearly dedicated to being a good player.
He stayed loyal to the club in his year off and the leadership role is his reward.
A season under his belt will help him as captain, but I see him growing and maturing in the role more so when Watson hangs up his boots.
**At Hawthorn, Jarryd Roughead is another captain with big shoes to fill.
Roughead has the ingredients to be a great leader, not only through what he learnt by overcoming cancer, but simply by being a good footballer.
Although when you watch Hawthorn’s games, Luke Hodge still appears to be the general or the policeman in the middle, never leaving his teammates with any doubt how to carry out Alastair Clarkson’s orders.
Roughead will get better and have a more authoritative role when Hodge has retired.
**I have witnessed Joel Selwood single-handedly will Geelong over the line on numerous occasions.
He is a gifted player, but not the greatest. He is adequate in speed, but not the quickest.
He is a modern-day gladiator and his team will always find something extra to give when he asks.
**The emergence of Melbourne is striking, and the co-captaincy of Jack Viney and Nathan Jones is intriguing.
It all goes hand-in-hand. The Demons’ success from here relies on this unlikely duo.
They are each hard-nosed, not overly vocal, and extremely loyal to their club.
They will do anything for the team and their teammates. It’s an unusual combination but effective, with experience and skill.
Younger player, Viney, will grow more confidently into the position — especially while Jones is out injured — and become a more dominant leader as time goes on.
**St Kilda skipper Jarryn Geary is locked in a fight for the finals.
He took on the leadership in the shadow of Nick Riewoldt, and for some players taking on that role would be too great a burden and their form would deteriorate.
But Geary has stood up beautifully and is playing better football now more than ever.
He accepted the leadership from a club legend, and thrived.
The Saints will need him to keep it up if they are to go on and make the finals.
**Trent Cotchin’s growth at Richmond is evident. The Tigers are a different side this year and he is a different player.
He doesn’t seem as burdened with the leadership role as last year.
As a result, he has a wonderful opportunity, heading towards September, to cement himself as a great Tiger leader.
**We watched with angst last year as an injured Bob Murphy missed the Bulldog’s premiership win.
But Easton Wood took over with aplomb.
He stood tall under Sydney’s relentless pressure, and got emotionally involved in the game.
The Dogs will benefit from having two outstanding, experienced leaders this time around.
**Taylor Walker at Adelaide and the Eagle’s Shannon Hurn are interesting.
Both wonderful players, but both seem quiet on the field.
Hurn is a great intercepting back for West Coast with beautiful disposal.
Walker is good in the one-on-one contest as a scoring spearhead.
Personally though, I think it’s hard to captain from deep forward or deep back, especially if they aren’t dominant, vocal players.
We’ve seen Adelaide overrun and West Coast lose games it was predicted to win, and this is where strong leadership is vital.
**My premiership captains were outstanding.
John Worsfold and Nick Maxwell led from the front, inspired and tried every week to replicate my game plan to a tee.
As an interstate skipper, Worsfold had to be harder, more disciplined and more resilient than others.
He had to demonstrate far and above the normal captaincy qualities to help win a premiership, such was travel being an issue.
At Collingwood, no leadership, no press. That was the hallmark of our success.
Maxwell led by example, especially when we had to back up again for a fight after a drawn grand final.
It’s fairly easy to lead a team when things are smooth sailing, but in a football season, and even within a game, things can turn quickly.
The greatest of leaders lead through adversity and triumph through hardship.
Strong support from their deputies and ultimately, from their teammates, is crucial.
People always remember premiership captains, so maybe the captain’s true role is most evident in late September.
But first they’ve got to get there.
Max’s Metrics: Numbers behind stars Saint’s staggering contract
Max King has signed an eye-boggling new contract after the Saints lined his numbers up against past greats. They liked what they saw and here is how the spearhead compares to 12 others.
Inside AFL’s draft combine: See the standouts, surprise packet
Draft hopefuls for both the AFL and AFLW were put to the test at this year’s combine, with one Victorian key forward producing a stunning 20m sprint. See the results and more here.