Why do we choose such horrible captains?

[verypoorboy]

Looking at LMac today and truthfully for a while now been making me shake my head and wonder how does a player like that manage to be named in this side, let alone be the captain of the club? No skill, slow, clumsy & not a single inspirational or clutch bone in his body…

Then I got to thinking it’s been a long, long time since we actually DID have a captain that you could trust to stamp & impose himself all over a match. Which is why it was such a shocker to see Simpkin actually play well last wk, when it mattered, because it’s simply so, so rare for him & for this club to see that. When in fact, it’s something you should ‘expect’ from your skipper to lift his team time and time again, and not something as rare as spotting bigfoot.

Swallow>Ziebell>Simpkin/McDonald

Basically 3.5 captains in a row that have either been whipping boys and/or don’t really play/lead in a way that inspires the team to win.

Question is why do we always choose such mediocre/uninspirational captains? We’ve never in recent history had a Dawson, a Touk Miller

11

Touk Miller

Age

29

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.7

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

12.3

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

5.4

5star

CL

4.2

5star

D

22.0

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

10.6

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.1

5star

D

17.8

5star

K

5.8

3star

HB

12.0

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.0

5star

or even a Zach Merrett that you know will come through for you in the crunch or will take a game by the scruff of the neck.
Seems like we just choose the ‘nice guy’ or one of ‘the boys’.

Would argue that Boomer was our last decent one, not because he was big in stature or anything. But he was dynamic/skillful and can make plays/kick goals that really lift the team. Don’t see that in any of the last 4 captains.
If you lack the skill and flair, then you gotta have at least a bit of intensity or fire. But haven’t seen it in recent choices either.

How can this captain issue be solved moving forward do we don’t end up with another LMac leading this club?

 

[koshari]

Pretty obvious, sheezle who is captain by proxy atm anyway. Jy i think your being a bit unfair on, its obvious he has had his own chalkenges but is capable when on.

 

[verypoorboy]

Pretty obvious, sheezle who is captain by proxy atm anyway. Jy i think your being a bit unfair on, its obvious he has had his own chalkenges but is capable when on.

Yeah Jy is definitely the better of the two and it was nice that he stood up against WC. Have no idea why LMac is captain.

Think Sheezel is the future captain.

 

[Epictetus]

If you speak to anyone who'd know, Harvey wasn't actually a good captain. Great player, of course.

Ziebell had Tarrant, Higgins, Cunnington and himself was a leader who played the game the way you want a captain to play. Fierce, serious, impactful in big games etc. And he was overall a good player.

 

[Devil Fish]

This dual captaincy is rubbish. And the fact it’s player driven is rubbish.

Sort it out Clarko - this is why you’re on the big bucks.

 

[verypoorboy]

If you speak to anyone who'd know, Harvey wasn't actually a good captain. Great player, of course.

Ziebell had Tarrant, Higgins, Cunnington and himself was a leader who played the game the way you want a captain to play. Fierce, serious, impactful in big games etc. And he was overall a good player.

Yeah, not saying Boomer was ‘great’ by any stretch. Just saying he was ‘decent’ as in okay. Like a ‘C+’ on a school report.

Ziebell had courage sure. But he wasn’t a good captain. Made bad decisions, turnover merchant which really kills momentum for his team, clumsy as hell and was never even a top 50 player in the league at any stage of his career (which is 100% not a requirement, but if you’re going to fall short in other areas then at least be one of the top players in the league).

Also his courage was never in question. But was he all that ‘fierce’ though? I don’t think so.
Is he the type that was going to get into the teams face, bully them with arrogance like a Voss, Hodge, Selwood, Archer or type? Or even Maxwell who wasn’t a great footballer but was fierce and would get all up in your face.

Ziebell was never that.

 

[CURVE]

I don't think the captaincy is going to be an issue in coming seasons, I've heard Larkey, Wardlaw, Sheezel and even Comben mentioned as potential leaders in the last few weeks.

 

[Elite Master]

I don't think the captaincy is going to be an issue in coming seasons, I've heard Larkey, Wardlaw, Sheezel and even Comben mentioned as potential leaders in the last few weeks.

Our next captain is going to be our best captain since Simpson IMO.

 

[Twangler]

I don't think the captaincy is going to be an issue in coming seasons, I've heard Larkey, Wardlaw, Sheezel and even Comben mentioned as potential leaders in the last few weeks.

I’d be very happy with that as a leadership group next year. Perhaps with the addition of Simpkin.
Personally for me, Larkey for captain next year with Sheezel vice. Longer term I think Sheezel.

 

[koshari]

I don't think the captaincy is going to be an issue in coming seasons, I've heard Larkey, Wardlaw, Sheezel and even Comben mentioned as potential leaders in the last few weeks.

People were equally bullish about spitta and zeibs.

 

[koshari]

Our next captain is going to be our best captain since Simpson IMO.

Having a better list around you would be an advantage. Zeibel had a pretty ordinary team around him for the latter part of his captaicy.

 

[LETSGOKANGAS]

Fast forward our young brigade into the 25 year range of leadership responsibility and bring in another promising crop under them.

3 years. Too much to wish for?

 

[kool kangas]

If we stick with two captains again next year then its Larkey and Ldu (if he stays) otherwise Larkey as captain.
Two Vice Captains Sheezel and Wardlaw

 

[cybercrab]

Leadership group next year should be: Larkey, Simpkin, LDU, Sheezel, Wardlaw, Comben, Xerri. Would like Larkey and Simpkin co-captaincy. Nothing wrong with co-captains, swans have had 3 captains for 20 years. You just can't have McDonald as your captain, would love to have LDU as captain but don't think he'd want it

 

[franjon]

There is never one captain of any organisation. There's probably about 8-12.

 

[LB2Snake]

Yeah, not saying Boomer was ‘great’ by any stretch. Just saying he was ‘decent’ as in okay. Like a ‘C+’ on a school report.

Ziebell had courage sure. But he wasn’t a good captain. Made bad decisions, turnover merchant which really kills momentum for his team, clumsy as hell and was never even a top 50 player in the league at any stage of his career (which is 100% not a requirement, but if you’re going to fall short in other areas then at least be one of the top players in the league).

Also his courage was never in question. But was he all that ‘fierce’ though? I don’t think so.
Is he the type that was going to get into the teams face, bully them with arrogance like a Voss, Hodge, Selwood, Archer or type? Or even Maxwell who wasn’t a great footballer but was fierce and would get all up in your face.

Ziebell was never that.

JZ wasn’t a great captain, but who should it have been? Petrie? Then who?

 

[kangatragic]

This dual captaincy is rubbish. And the fact it’s player driven is rubbish.

Sort it out Clarko - this is why you’re on the big bucks.

Couldn't agree more. I'd like Larkey to be captain next year as there is no need to put that sort of pressure on Sheezel in he's third year though he is definitely a captain in waiting.

 

[justroyal]

At one point even Zuurhar could have taken his claim to being captain material if he continued on building on his momentum from two years ago. But that came to a crashing hault.

With Larkey, obviously top favourite in my books too but do we want our main goal kicker not only worrying ball inside delivery, but also worrying about what else is happening up and all over the ground?

 

[ferball]

We haven't won a game all year and our best young leader of the last five years comes back and plays a BOG game that includes two clutch goals in the last quarter. A captain's game if you like and people are putting him in their leadership groups as an afterthought.

FKNLOL

 

[Gasometer]

Up there with Bye Bye threads

 

[verypoorboy]

JZ wasn’t a great captain, but who should it have been? Petrie? Then who?

Should’ve been Tarrant.

Elite and one of the best defenders in the entire league for many years. Highly respected. Composed. Great decision maker and much better footy IQ than Ziebell - who was just a ball butcher and overall one of the worst on-field decision makers I’ve ever seen.

And you could also say he was every bit just as courageous as JZ is on the field (which was Ziebell’s biggest selling point to most peeps defending him), but Taz has it in spades, without all the added shortcomings.

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

The players vote for it? Why would they choose players who aren’t the best leaders?

 

[verypoorboy]

The players vote for it? Why would they choose players who aren’t the best leaders?

Because it ends up being a popularity contest. It’s like entrusting a bunch of schoolkids to vote for school captain. You think they’ll vote for their mates/person they like or the nerdy guy that’ll actually be adequate at the job?

Now, now, before you start saying they’re adults and not schoolkids, thus will much smarter and calculated with their votes. Just remember these are ‘footballers’ we’re talking about.

 

[Tas]

Answer: Players are obviously terrible judges.

 

[Jebus]

I believe Simpkin is an excellent captain. The players genuinely love the club, are forming really strong bonds, and aren't affected by external noise. Simpkin is always smiling, supportive, and encouraging his teammates, look at any footage taken inside the walls of the club and it's clear as day to see how much he loves the group and they love him.

I suspect he and McDonald are key reasons the group enjoys playing together so much, and as a result players like Sheezel sign up for 7 years instantly, or Larkey decides to sign a long contract. When LDU signs his extension you can bet your ass it's in part because of the work both captains have done every day, not just game day.