Luke Hodge leads the way: Every AFL captain rated
LEADERS aren’t born, they’re made. But you knew that already. However, there’s a lot about leadership we don’t understand. How does your captain rate?
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LEADERSHIP isn’t difficult to define. Google it and you get a gazillion quotes. But captaincy isn’t as simple as learning your lines, if it was then every AFL skipper would be cut from the same cloth.
And clearly they aren’t. The AFL has 20 captains and no two are the same - even those at the same club.
Some are extroverts, others introverts, some lead by deed, others by duty.
Some inspire, others encourage. Some are the team’s best player, others are on another tier.
WHO IS THE AFL’S BEST CAPTAIN? SCROLL DOWN TO CAST YOUR VOTE AND HAVE YOUR SAY
There’s no right or wrong way to captaincy but the key, according to former Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell, is staying true to yourself.
Maxwell, who’s a leadership coach for Greater Western Sydney and NRL club Melbourne Storm, says captaincy remains a mystery to most people.
“The big thing about on-field leadership is because there’s not a column on the stats’ sheet that says ‘leadership’, it’s really hard to judge and hard for people to see,” he said this week.
“If you go to a game, 90 per cent of the time your eyes are drawn to where the ball’s going, not behind the play where ‘Hodgey’ grabs a player and then talks to him and then swaps opponents over.”
Hodgey. No talk of captaincy gets too far before Luke Hodge gets mentioned.
If there is a gold (and brown) standard bearer as to what a great captain looks like in 2016 then it’s the Hawks’ No.15.
“Marc Murphy has a great relationship with his teammates,” Maxwell said.
“He’s someone who leads by example, training-wise and professionalism-wise.
“At times people get too caught up in wanting him to be something he’s not, similar to Trent (Cotchin).
“People want him to be ‘Hodgey’ but they’re different people. He’s doing a good job.
“He just has to continue to do it his way. He has had to captain the club in a really tough period.
“He looks like he’s guiding a lot of the young fellows, because a lot of it is about education.”
In the end you do get judged on how you perform in big games. That was Mick Malthouse’s motto. It was all about finals.
Nick Maxwell
When Channel Seven’s Cameron Ling was asked to rate Hodge out of 10 he didn’t hesitate: “Luke Hodge is a 10.”
And Cotchin?
“He’s a 7. His performance has been very good for an extended period, but what’s holding him back is it hasn’t been done on the big stage in finals.
“He bears the brunt of the expectation of Tigers’ fans and some of it is unfair. He needs to play some more finals footy and win finals footy.
“That’s where he’ll be tested as to whether or not he’s a good captain.”
Maxwell agrees.
“In the end you do get judged on how you perform in big games,” he said.
“That was Mick Malthouse’s motto. It was all about finals.”
It helps too when you can spread the load. As good as Hodge is the Hawks also have Jordan Lewis, Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson and Sam Mitchell barking instructions.
Brendon Goddard doesn’t have that support, which is why Maxwell thinks he’s in “the toughest position out of everyone”.
“He is one of the most competitive players I’ve ever seen. He just wants to win every contest and win every game,” Maxwell said.
“But his desires for that have to change this year. He has to remove himself from that being his number one driver and focus on education and relationships.
“He has to change the way he thinks. He has got to be a real friend to everyone.”
Tough love was a trait Collingwood’s 1990 premiership captain Tony Shaw subscribed to, but he was also careful not to go too far.
“Brutalising your team-mate because he does something wrong, by verbalising to a point that it becomes demonstrative, I never believed in that,” he said.
“I would look them in the eye and say that’s not good enough, but I can’t remember really going off at a team-mate as in throwing your hands up in the air and all that stuff, because that just doesn’t help the confidence of the group.”
Shaw was an extroverted leader, but he said the quieter personalities could be just as effective.
“I don’t think it’s totally right that people who aren’t vocal aren’t good captains,” he said.
One thing that will never change though is supporters getting vocal about their captains – even if much of it is ill-informed.
Maxwell knows this better than most, having been a captain for six years – including Collingwood’s 2010 premiership.
“We’re pretty quick to jump on guys and criticise them,” he said.
“You need to know what’s going on internally to know why guys are leaders.
“A lot of people want to simplify and say they’ve got to perform on game day, but being a good captain is also about understanding the roles of everyone within the whole football club, not just the guy next to you out on the field.
“It’s not a job that rests.”
Just ask Cotch.
greg.buckle@news.com.au
YOUR CAPTAIN RATED
ADELAIDE
Taylor Walker
Age: 25
Years in job: 2
Games: 111
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. A surprise choice, he starred in last year’s finals win over the Dogs, kicked 59 goals as a consistent target and helped heal a playing group rocked by Phil Walsh’s sudden death.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “Given how hard everything has been and what happened in his first year (Phil Walsh’s death), he’s well on his way to being a great captain. He has been outstanding.”
LING’S RATING: 8/10
BRISBANE
Tom Rockliff
Age: 26
Years in job: 2
Games: 119
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. A steep learning curve for Rockcliff, who aligned himself so closely to Justin Leppitsch his teammates with issues wouldn’t confide in him. Admitted his mistakes. Will be vastly improved for the run.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “It looks like he has demanded really high standards to start with and been really aggressive in the way he has tried to get that across to his teammates. By his own admission he needs to be a bit more understanding. You want to fast-track and get success as quickly as you can but there are little steps you need to take along the way.”
LING’S RATING: 6/10
CARLTON
Marc Murphy
Age: 28
Years in job: 4
Games: 208
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. Few captains have been hurt courageously putting their body on the line more than Murphy. But is aware he needs to be a more vocal, inspiring leader after made to sweat over summer on his leadership position.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “Murph has a great relationship with his teammates. He’s someone who leads by example, training-wise and professionalism-wise. At times people get too caught up in wanting him to be something he’s not, similar to Trent Cotchin. People want him to be Luke Hodge but they’re different people. I think he’s doing a good job.”
LING’S RATING: 5/10
COLLINGWOOD
Scott Pendlebury
Age: 28
Years in job: 3
Games: 217
JON RAPH SAYS: Captain Blood. Never fails to fire, never puts a foot wrong, never shirks an issue. Now the 2010 Norm Smith Medallist needs finals wins to boost his legacy as a Pies leader.
TONY SHAW SAYS: “You watch behind the scenes you can see him pointing and things like that. Maybe it just needs some of those senior players to stand up.”
LING’S RATING: 7/10
ESSENDON
Brendon Goddard
Age: 30
Years in job: 1
Games: 273
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Criticised as a finger pointer, he has lifted admirably in the leadership vacuum and won real plaudits for his steady hand at the tiller, plus averaged 25 quality touches a game.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “He is one of the most competitive players I’ve ever seen. He just wants to win every contest and win every game. His desires for that have to change this year. He has to remove himself from that being his number one driver to education and relationships. He has to change the way he thinks. He has got to be a real friend to everyone.”
LING’S RATING: 6/10
FREMANTLE
David Mundy
Age: 30
Years in job: 1
Games: 235
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. Small sample size. Just two games for his winless team given calf issues. Tough ask replacing Matthew Pavlich but can’t get out on the park so far.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “He has the club’s highest greatest leader still beside him. So he would have Matthew Pavlich’s ear and Pav would still have a big influence over the group. They could have gone to the Brownlow Medallist and made him captain but they went with David Mundy so that told me a lot about how they regarded him as a leader and as a person.”
LING’S RATING: 6/10
GEELONG
Joel Selwood
Age: 27
Years in job: 5
Games: 208
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Blood. Big game performer, confrontational behind closed doors when he needs to be, barely misses a game, lifts team with on-field organisation and inspirational feats. The ultimate.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “Number one, he performs on the big stage when he has to. Number two, the fact a young guy can come in as captain and have an influence is really impressive. There were so many guys who were older than him (when he was named captain in 2012). But there was never one whisper out of Geelong that people’s noses were out of joint.”
LING’S RATING: 8/10
GOLD COAST
Gary Ablett
Age: 31
Years in job: 6
Games: 278
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. Do as I do, not as I say, has been his mantra. Ablett’s captaincy has been consistently questioned by critics who say he hasn’t played with pain or invested enough in teammates. But you can’t question his on-field brilliance.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “You can’t doubt his output as a player. It’s a very young group to try to bring together. If he’s going to be classed as a great leader, it’s probably the next two or three years that will determine that. I don’t find him a naturally quiet guy within the confines of a footy club. He’s probably at his best in his leadership when he just grabs a player aside one on one, talking about little things he has noticed or a bit of advice.”
LING’S RATING: 7/10
GWS GIANTS
Phil Davis
Age: 25
Years in job: 5th as co-captain
Games: 80
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. Smooth-talking and very well respected, but a series of jarring collision injuries have kept him to only 40 games since the start of 2013. Absolutely fearless but needs to stay on the paddock.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “Phil’s the really outgoing one. He’ll have a lot to say and be strong in the way he says it.”
LING’S RATING: 6.5/10
CALLAN WARD
Age: 26
Years in job: 5th year as co-captain
Games: 147
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. An old fashioned blood-and-guts leader, the rugged Ward could be on the way to Captain Blood status. Wins the hard ball, has missed just five of GWS’ 92 games, beloved by his teammates, admired from afar.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “Callan is a little bit more of an introvert. But he earns great respect for the way he goes about his footy and how hard he is.”
LING’S RATING: 6.5/10
HAWTHORN
Luke Hodge
Age: 31
Years in job: 6
Games: 273
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. The perfect captain. Has three flags as skipper, countless big games in finals, plays like an on-field coach, holds teammates to account. Drink-driving charge last year a rare blemish.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “He has done it in big games (winning two Norm Smith Medals). The players warm to him and are right behind him and his on-field coaching, along with a number of those Hawthorn guys. That’s why they’re so good in big moments. Right from the start I had him in my head as a 10 and then rate the rest on a scale compared to him.”
LING’S RATING: 10/10
MELBOURNE
Nathan Jones
Age: 28
Years in job: 2 (co-captain 2014)
Games: 205
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. Took over a club in chaos and has steadily built his reputation, winning three consecutive b-and-fs before playing through last year with a serious neck injury.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “When the team is rebuilding, the number-one priority is for you to perform as a player. He performs so well. He won three best and fairests in a row. You hope that guys like Jones who put in the hard yards when things were tough get some reward (with team success) at the end of it as well.”
LING’S RATING: 6/10
NORTH MELBOURNE
Andrew Swallow
Age: 28
Years in job: 5
Games: 190
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. Held off heir apparent Jack Ziebell for one more year because of his unflappable demeanour, strong behind-the-scenes leadership, rare clearance skills and on-field consistency.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “He plays footy the right way. He plays the way you want your captain to play. He’s very well-spoken. I’ve worked for a year there with him in 2014. He’s well on his way to becoming an absolutely excellent captain.”
LING’S RATING: 7.5/10
PORT ADELAIDE
Travis Boak
Age: 27
Years in job: 4
Games: 181
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Blood. Took over the captaincy in 2013 and has won all three best-and-fairests on offer, plus two all-Australian nods. Now facing his greatest challenge — turning around the enigmatic Power.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “I’ve seen him be very vocal out on the field and challenge his teammates. He looks like he has the full respect of the players and can be a mate as well and not just be a captain.”
LING’S RATING: 6.5/10
RICHMOND
Trent Cotchin
Age: 25
Years in job: 4
Games: 157
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Query. A team that had played finals twice since 1980 has qualified for September in his three years in charge. But he has battled in finals, been criticised for his style of play and admits he needs to build stronger off-field relationships with his teammates.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “His performance has been very good for an extended period now. With his playing ability and potential, he should be an eight or nine. What’s holding him back is it hasn’t been done on the big stage yet in finals. He wears a lot of the brunt of the expectation of the Tigers and some of it is unfair. He needs to play some more finals footy and win finals footy. That’s where he’ll be tested as to whether or not he’s a good captain.”
LING’S RATING: 7/10
ST KILDA
Nick Riewoldt
Age: 33
Years in job: 9th year since appointed in 2008
Games: 302
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Blood. Only the lack of a premiership has him a shade behind the premiership greats. Insanely brave, vocal and nurturing, makes his teammates stand tall.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “He has changed the way centre half-forward was played. In terms of leadership, he has taken his club so close. They dominated the competition for a few years. He could have nicked off and a few clubs had a real crack at him but he’s just St Kilda through and through. He wants to pass on all his knowledge to the next group coming through.”
LING’S RATING: 9.5/10
SYDNEY
Jarrad McVeigh
Age: 31
Years in job: 6th as co-captain
Games: 267
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. The club’s longest-serving captain since Paul Kelly is Mr Dependable, an on-field marshal from half back who has already coached the club in the NAB Challenge.
NICK MAXWELL SAYS: “He plays his role every week. He’s very reliable as a player. He does everything right. When you have guys who do everything right with their own preparation off the field, it’s easy for them to be able to demand that of others.”
LING’S RATING: 8/10
KIEREN JACK
Age: 28
Years in job: 4th as co-captain
Games: 189
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. Captain since 2013, Jack is the ultimate hardball warrior, never flinching or taking a backwards step. Universal respect at a club where player empowerment drives continued success.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “He just has a real desire to be the best he can be and demands a standard from the rest of his teammates. His intensity and desire and competitiveness are so high that I don’t reckon their young blokes would have any choice other than to get on board with what he wants them to do.”
LING’S RATING: 8/10
WEST COAST
Shannon Hurn
Age: 28
Years in job: 2nd as captain, also co-captain in 2014
Games: 181
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Consistent. No wild child like former skipper Ben Cousins, he took the Eagles to a Grand Final in his first year with his level-headed, low-profile captaincy. Can’t fault any aspect of his play or leadership.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “He’s just a good-quality human being who’s a great teammate and sets the standards. He’s almost an on-field coach. He reads it so well and sets them up.”
LING’S RATING: 7.5/10
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Bob Murphy
Age: 33
Years in job: 2
Games: 295
JON RALPH SAYS: Captain Blood. The quirky skipper was acclaimed as the All Australian captain after helping drag the Dogs from the mire. Outpouring of emotion after his ACL rupture says it all about how respected he has become.
CAMERON LING SAYS: “What he has done so far has been brilliant. He’s just a quality bloke. In the short period of time he has done it, he has been outstanding at a tough time when the captain (Ryan Griffen) walked out, the coach (Brendan McCartney) left, the Brownlow Medallist (Adam Cooney) left, Shaun Higgins left, and he brought them together. ”
LING’S RATING: 8/10
Originally published as Luke Hodge leads the way: Every AFL captain rated
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