One for all and all for one at Doggie kennel with Matthew Boyd to captain Western Bulldogs for third year

THE Western Bulldogs have dumped the traditional leadership group.

THE Western Bulldogs have dumped the traditional leadership group.

In a bold move the Dogs are looking to give younger players more responsibility and ownership in the direction of the club.

Matthew Boyd will captain the team for a third season but there will be no one directly underneath him.

"We are trying something that is a little bit different, a little left of centre but we've been in consultation with quite a few people over a fair bit of time," Boyd said.

"This is something that we think is going to help bridge the gap between older and younger generations within the playing group and help our emerging leaders to step up and take some more responsibility."

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 The Tom Liberatore drug scandal last year highlighted a range of issues at the Whitten Oval including the gulf which had developed in the playing group.

"I think the events of last year probably opened our eyes a little bit to understanding that some lines of communication weren't probably there that we would have liked for them to be there," Boyd said.

"This is just a way to make sure the lines of communication are well and truly open.

"It also helps to establish and nurture relationships that sometimes within a footy club are harder to nurture with the big gaps in generations."

Boyd said he recalled from his early days how younger players can be alienated and feel they don't have a say in the running of the club.

"Being a young player myself back in the day, sometimes you can feel like it's not your club," he said.

"The whole idea is about trying to create a bit of ownership amongst some of our younger players, the whole group really, so the guys feel it's their club.

"They can take part in some of the decision-making process and really feel like they are taking the club where they want to take it. What we are trying to promote and preach at our footy club is that everyone has a responsibility to take the club where they want to take it."

The Dogs skipper is confident the move will accelerate the development of his replacement.

"I think this is a really strong show from all the people involved in the footy club that this is about an all-inclusive program that is going to really help to bring young people along," he said.

"You talk about leaders being born or how they are created, well, you have got to learn how to lead.

"We think we're going to be able to teach some of the young guys from an early phase in their footy career how to be leaders and to start to take the group in the direction they want to take it."

Ironically while the Dogs were ditching their leadership group the Adelaide Crows yesterday named two additions - Jason Porplyzia and Sam Jacobs - to its six-man panel headed by skipper Nathan van Berlo.

Melbourne last month included recruits Chris Dawes and Shannon Byrnes in a nine-player leadership group headed by Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove.