Our Next Great Captain

[mhill]

Reading Kane Johnston's interview (nice bloke but not particularly inspirational) it occurred to me that top shelf captains have been in short supply at Tigerland for a long time.

A great leader on field is a key ingredient for success in the AFL.

My definition of "top shelf" is setting the bar right up there like a Michael Voss, James Hird or a Chris Judd.

Look at the past 20 years at the Tigerland honor roll.....

1987 - Mark Lee a good player at the end of his career
1988-1992 Dale Weightman a great player who was too often suspended but close to a top shelfer
1993 - Jeff Hogg made captain to increase his trade value (it worked)
1994-1996 - Tony Free, but for tragic series of injuries would've been an absolute top shelfer
1997-2000 - Mattie Knights, top shelf player but too selfish in his football to be considered a top shelf leader (may be controversial but think about it)
2001-2004 - Wayne Campbell, very good player but hardly inspirational and seemed a bit aloof to be a great leader
2005- Kane Johnston

Who from our current list can emerge to be a truly great captain and lead the club back up to the top of the pile?

For me it is hard to tell but one of Foley, Deledio and Cotchin seem to have the attributes but it is too early for all (especially Cotchin) to really know.

 

[sonvolt17]

I think if Sugar goes around again he will probably be captain again.

Chris Newman would have to be a chance, not an elite footbsller but he leads by example on and off the field.

I think this really shows the lack of 23-28 year olds on our list which is a hangover from Spuds topping up of the list.

 

[Accepted 04]

Newman will be our next captain because it seems to me that he shows heaps of leadership on the field. Thats what teams need in a captain.

 

[The Rusty Trombone]

I think if they are going to look at a Senior player it has to be Brown for 1 or 2 years but if they were to select a younger player I don't care who it is as long as he is a regular senior footballer and is respected more than any player around the club.

If thats Foley so be it , if its Newman so be it if its Cotchin , Moore , Thurstfield so be it

Foley, Cotchin and Thurstfield are the stand outs for me

 

[Tigertom]

Newman for me. Shows great leadership qualities allready.

Pity the list didn't have Mathew Richardson in it somewhere. He may have some flaws but WOW WHAT A LEADER HE WOULD HAVE BEEN - INSPIRATIONAL

Foley should be Newman's deputy.

PLEASE don't adopt the Saints/Swans multiple captain system, It SUCKED

 

[SackKaneJohnson]

We cant do any worse than what we have already got. I think Newmie should be our next captain. Axl has enough on his plate at the moment trying to break the heavy tags he gets every week now. His form is definitely abit down at the moment. Newman Capt. Lids and Big Will VC.

 

[Top_4_Tiger]

Just because Newman is the best of a bad bunch (not including young players) when searching for our next captain doesn't make him this fantastic leader you speak of.

Kane Johnson, by all reports, is an incredible leader off the field.

It's fair to say he's better than Newman off field.

And he's won 2 premierships as a key midfielder, so earns more respect than Newman on the field as a leaky back pocket with nice skills.



Think about it - Johnson is a better captain than Newman in every way.

When Johnson was Newman's age he was tearing it up and was worth a #2 pick in the draft... what would we get for Newman if we traded him now?


Nope, from our current list and regular players we need Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley or Trent Cotchin to be our next captain.

 

[Heisenberg_]

Brett Deledio has all the tools to be a great captain.
Anybody who thinks that Newman and Foley would do a better job need to look a bit better.
Foley is a great player, but doesn't have a massive on field presence and is too quiet.
Newman is much the same.
Compare those two around the other players on the field with Deledio

 

[SackKaneJohnson]

Just because Newman is the best of a bad bunch (not including young players) when searching for our next captain doesn't make him this fantastic leader you speak of.

Kane Johnson, by all reports, is an incredible leader off the field.

It's fair to say he's better than Newman off field.

And he's won 2 premierships as a key midfielder, so earns more respect than Newman on the field as a leaky back pocket with nice skills.



Think about it - Johnson is a better captain than Newman in every way.

When Johnson was Newman's age he was tearing it up and was worth a #2 pick in the draft... what would we get for Newman if we traded him now?


Nope, from our current list and regular players we need Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley or Trent Cotchin to be our next captain.

How about showing some of "that incredible leadership off the field" on the field just once. Look forward to talking to you again T4T after the West Coast game.

 

[krustyman]

foley didnt take well to the co-captaincy very well and played very ordinary, so maybe newman is a better option after jono retires..

 

[mhill]

Brett Deledio has all the tools to be a great captain.
Anybody who thinks that Newman and Foley would do a better job need to look a bit better.
Foley is a great player, but doesn't have a massive on field presence and is too quiet.
Newman is much the same.
Compare those two around the other players on the field with Deledio

Lids is our best hope. AS for Chris Newman as a player (which is the main criticism of Kane Johnston), in 8 years on our list, tell me how many top 5 finishes he has had in our B&F? None. You need the captain to be consistently finishing top 3 or top 5 as a player.
Even Johnston has won a B&F and has a couple of top 3 finishes.
Newman is a wasted choice as captain, he is not nearly good enough as a player - to me him being capt is invoking the Mike Brearly rule.

We need a gun player, gun bloke and a gun leader to go to the next level.

Deledio is best placed if we make a change next year, I still would not rule out Foley as Lids will get the heavy tags next year.

 

[Top_4_Tiger]

foley didnt take well to the co-captaincy very well and played very ordinary, so maybe newman is a better option after jono retires..

I'd rather keep johnson for another year than to hand it to someone like Chris Newman due to lack of competition.

A captain should emerge as an obvious choice.

Michael Voss - bam - captain, don't have to think twice!

Chris Newman? You need to try and convince yourself that he deserves the #17 and I can't do it.

Good player, good leader... but no Jack Dyer.




Wait for a kid to step up, we won't be waiting long

 

[Tigersman]

Wont happen but a year under Richo to finish his career would be a great thing for the big bloke.

 

[ize_]

Forget Lids, forget Cotch, definitely forget Newman. Give it to Jacky R! He epitomises what I want our club culture to become.

 

[Dave Stevens]

Think it has to be Lids. Might need to fast track the on-field leadership though...seeing as Sugar's last season is 2009. Has the skills, has the longevity. Gonna have some competition from Cotchy shortly though...