Why not Leon?

[FuManchu]

All this talk about future captains and I fail to see why Leon is not seriously considered in people's views.

The man is a gun footballer, can turn a game, has certainly strung two good if not great seasons together, has 8 years at the club and obviously has taken the recent off field dramas to heart and decided to lead the way on field. I like the bloke, I love the way he plays and I especially love the new work ethic of the last two seasons. He loves to inspire, what more can you ask of a captain?

 

[OniAu]

definitely loved his improvement as you mentioned. but he does look like the type of guy that would just love to play his footy and do his stuff. i think itd be more of a burden to his performances than a good thing.

not everyone needs the captaincy to lead the team on field.

 

[CrazyQ]

Honestly, Pendlebury has to be.

 

[King Woodie]

Leon is not a leader. Just because he is a good player does not mean he should be captain.

Absolutely nonsensical notion.

There are about 10 blokes who are more captaincy material than Leon because they are natural leaders.

Your captain needs to be more than just a good player.

 

[Godfrey Jones]

Leon is not a leader. Just because he is a good player does not mean he should be captain.

Absolutely nonsensical notion.

There are about 10 blokes who are more captaincy material than Leon because they are natural leaders.

Your captain needs to be more than just a good player.

and what are you basing this on?

 

[Kirby]

Whilst he can be inspiring on the football field he has never struck me as a natural leader.

Off the field he would be terrible. He is very shy and inarticulate so there is no way that he could be the face of the club.

 

[Optimax]

Whilst he can be inspiring on the football field he has never struck me as a natural leader.

Off the field he would be terrible. He is very shy and inarticulate so there is no way that he could be the face of the club.

thats how i feel as well, he can "ignite" us on field but off field he just doesnt have it.

Swan pendlebury and cloke are the next three in line

 

[Keele]

Swan pendlebury and cloke are the next three in line

My money is on Josh

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Not a totally ridiculous question but frankly we need to elect somebody younger. It has to be Pendlebury or Cloke. Hopefully Burns plays on next year anyway so we have another year to decide, and to give Heath Shaw a year to redeem himself and also put his name forward.

 

[shawthing09]

Agree with what everyone else is saying. The other names been thrown around, Heath, Pendles, Cloke are all pretty vocal on field leaders, giving out orders. In Pendles case he always has done a fair bit of being the face of the club via the media as well

 

[well left]

Don't know Leon so I obviously have no idea but I would be guessing he would be better value to us as our midfield star. I think all the off-field stuff that is involved with being captain, or leadership group for that matter, might affect his love for the game.

There are all sorts of players that make up a team. We have players like Maxwell who I reckon thrive on all the off-field stuff such as leadership and analysis. I don't reckon that's Leon.... and as such I don't see him as captain material. And that's fine...

He does have leadership qualities though - I reckon he would be great with the younger players out on the track and in the gym and his rise over the last two years would be a great example to those younger players. I just think it's a little more informal than what's required of a captain.

As others have mentioned, you don't have to be captain to be a leader.

 

[RRRooocccaaa]

FWIW I reckon the big 1-0 will be the next framed guernsey on the Lexus Centre wall.

It's because of his combination of on-field skills, his professionalism, his excellent media skills and because he commands a lot of respect from his team-mates. He's also got an excellent analytical brain, judging from his columns, his interviews and and his ability to freeze time when he has the ball.

I'd see Cloke, Anthony, Maxwell, Fraser and Heretier O' Brien as excellent VCs - all of them excellent team players and commanding leadership but none who could drag the collective spirit by the scruff of the neck when needed.

Scott Pendlebury (c) has a great ring to it.

 

[Smoky]

My vote goes to Dane Swan. Josh is too inconsistant, although he would be second in line for me because giving him the captaincy may make him become a champion, consistant player (may) and until Pendles hits 100 games, it is too much of a risk to give him the captaincy, we need to be sure his game continues to grow, instead of him focasing on getting the team to lift.

Dane Swan is a ready made Captain IMO

 

[Somebody]

All this talk about future captains and I fail to see why Leon is not seriously considered in people's views.

The man is a gun footballer, can turn a game, has certainly strung two good if not great seasons together, has 8 years at the club and obviously has taken the recent off field dramas to heart and decided to lead the way on field. I like the bloke, I love the way he plays and I especially love the new work ethic of the last two seasons. He loves to inspire, what more can you ask of a captain?

Well this has been his first really dynamic season - although was pretty good last year but had bad luck with injuries. If he has another season like this one definitely I think he could become an inspirational leader - obvioulsy depends on how his character develops also but he has already developed a lot in that area clearly. but to have an igniter like him as capt and playing consistently (taht's the key) could be superb. Or at the least vc to someone like Pendles.
It would definitley suit his number, and he might even become the first true indiginous AFL/VFL capt? Maybe not - Michael Long maybe?... but would be very appropriate to the colours. Obviuolsy he has to start gettign some media exposure first.

 

[FuManchu]

Whilst he can be inspiring on the football field he has never struck me as a natural leader.

Off the field he would be terrible. He is very shy and inarticulate so there is no way that he could be the face of the club.

I dont give a rats about off field crap, I only follow Collingwood for what happens on the field, for all I care he could be a cave dweller and only pop up for game day, as long as when he runs out on the field, he ignites the rest of the playing group.

The captain is there for one primary purpose, the lead the club on the field, the rest of the media stuff is periphial and secondary to the real object.

Leon has the capacity to inspire and of late has shown that he wants to impose himself on the game, thats all I want from my captain. We have enuf media performers at the club to do the other stuff. Just remember, the captain doesnt have to be the best orator, he has the be the bloke that leads by his actions. The last two years, Leon has been imposing himself on games. thats what I want my captain to do.

Someone like Pendlebury, as skilled as he is, is not someone who I see impose himself on a game, sure he gets plenty of possesion and is silky in his delivery, but he is not a dynamic player that busts open playing situations. Bucks was a dynamic player that busted packs and ran the lines and looked like a leader and forcing himself into game situations. Leon is now doing the same. Pendlebury doesnt do that. He acculmulates and feeds off, but he is not a player that 'takes the game by the scruff of the neck'. He doesnt approach a game situation and say, I need to make the play here. Leon does, Burns does, there is a difference.

 

[swiftdog]

I dont give a rats about off field crap, I only follow Collingwood for what happens on the field, for all I care he could be a cave dweller and only pop up for game day, as long as when he runs out on the field, he ignites the rest of the playing group.

The captain is there for one primary purpose, the lead the club on the field, the rest of the media stuff is periphial and secondary to the real object.

Leon has the capacity to inspire and of late has shown that he wants to impose himself on the game, thats all I want from my captain. We have enuf media performers at the club to do the other stuff. Just remember, the captain doesnt have to be the best orator, he has the be the bloke that leads by his actions. The last two years, Leon has been imposing himself on games. thats what I want my captain to do.

Someone like Pendlebury, as skilled as he is, is not someone who I see impose himself on a game, sure he gets plenty of possesion and is silky in his delivery, but he is not a dynamic player that busts open playing situations. Bucks was a dynamic player that busted packs and ran the lines and looked like a leader and forcing himself into game situations. Leon is now doing the same. Pendlebury doesnt do that. He acculmulates and feeds off, but he is not a player that 'takes the game by the scruff of the neck'. He doesnt approach a game situation and say, I need to make the play here. Leon does, Burns does, there is a difference.

Couldn't be more wrong. The captain needs to do much much more than play good, inspiratiuonal football on gameday. Only have to look back a month to see what Burnsy and the rest of the CFC leaders were put through. Not only is the captain the face of the club, he is the leader of the club.

 

[shawthing09]

I dont give a rats about off field crap, I only follow Collingwood for what happens on the field, for all I care he could be a cave dweller and only pop up for game day, as long as when he runs out on the field, he ignites the rest of the playing group.

The captain is there for one primary purpose, the lead the club on the field, the rest of the media stuff is periphial and secondary to the real object.

Leon has the capacity to inspire and of late has shown that he wants to impose himself on the game, thats all I want from my captain. We have enuf media performers at the club to do the other stuff. Just remember, the captain doesnt have to be the best orator, he has the be the bloke that leads by his actions. The last two years, Leon has been imposing himself on games. thats what I want my captain to do.

Someone like Pendlebury, as skilled as he is, is not someone who I see impose himself on a game, sure he gets plenty of possesion and is silky in his delivery, but he is not a dynamic player that busts open playing situations. Bucks was a dynamic player that busted packs and ran the lines and looked like a leader and forcing himself into game situations. Leon is now doing the same. Pendlebury doesnt do that. He acculmulates and feeds off, but he is not a player that 'takes the game by the scruff of the neck'. He doesnt approach a game situation and say, I need to make the play here. Leon does, Burns does, there is a difference.

Unfortunately Fu you could not be more wrong. Hence players like Vandenberg and Harley getting captaincy.

Players like your saying are inspirational and can lead without the recognition of being captain.

Captaincy is a position of authority amongst the playing group and should set the bar in training, they become the face of the club in a sense and more and more leadership groups are being given more responsibility in terms of discpline etc. I really don't think Leon is the man for the job.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

I just don't see Leon ever fulfilling the leadership role at the club. He's never been in the leadership group, to the best of my knowledge. While his play has been excellent and highly consistent (when fit) this year, he's an outstanding trainer and he can turn a game, I could just never imagine him marshalling the troops or lifting another player up by the bootstraps.

 

[Subtemperate]

I would think if you went through the list of AFL captains, there would be very little that are what I'd call flashy. The best football from Leon.... his best plays, goals... etc... Is when he's being selfish. We don't want him burdened with the rest of the team, we want him to enjoy his freedom.

 

[Godfrey Jones]

I would think if you went through the list of AFL captains, there would be very little that are what I'd call flashy. The best football from Leon.... his best plays, goals... etc... Is when he's being selfish. We don't want him burdened with the rest of the team, we want him to enjoy his freedom.

probably the best argument in this thread.

 

[Brad Goodman]

Pendlebury or Cloke are a clear top 2 in my eyes.

Fu I love your love of Leon but your ideas on this are way out of date.

 

[FuManchu]

Funnily enuf, on a night where there was little leadership, it was LEON showing the way, willing the ball to come to him, making all the play for the ball, trying make things happen.

the rest of your propsed leaders, well.............. they werent showing any of the on field application that Davis did last night. leadership is most needed when things are down, and last night he was at the forefront and even in the last quarter, he didnt give up, when others apparently had.

 

[Stan.]

All this talk about future captains and I fail to see why Leon is not seriously considered in people's views.

The man is a gun footballer, can turn a game, has certainly strung two good if not great seasons together, has 8 years at the club and obviously has taken the recent off field dramas to heart and decided to lead the way on field. I like the bloke, I love the way he plays and I especially love the new work ethic of the last two seasons. He loves to inspire, what more can you ask of a captain?

It would be an inspired choice but i reckon swan would get the nod before him.

 

[Somebody]

I dont give a rats about off field crap, I only follow Collingwood for what happens on the field, for all I care he could be a cave dweller and only pop up for game day, as long as when he runs out on the field, he ignites the rest of the playing group.

The captain is there for one primary purpose, the lead the club on the field, the rest of the media stuff is periphial and secondary to the real object.

Leon has the capacity to inspire and of late has shown that he wants to impose himself on the game, thats all I want from my captain. We have enuf media performers at the club to do the other stuff. Just remember, the captain doesnt have to be the best orator, he has the be the bloke that leads by his actions. The last two years, Leon has been imposing himself on games. thats what I want my captain to do.

Someone like Pendlebury, as skilled as he is, is not someone who I see impose himself on a game, sure he gets plenty of possesion and is silky in his delivery, but he is not a dynamic player that busts open playing situations. Bucks was a dynamic player that busted packs and ran the lines and looked like a leader and forcing himself into game situations. Leon is now doing the same. Pendlebury doesnt do that. He acculmulates and feeds off, but he is not a player that 'takes the game by the scruff of the neck'. He doesnt approach a game situation and say, I need to make the play here. Leon does, Burns does, there is a difference.

If yo look at other captains on the media, they are not exactly great orators. You don't have to reach the oratory of say Gough Whitlam or Obama to be a footy spokesman, just about anyone could be groomed to the required level. Buckley was the tin man/deer in the headlights when he was first on the footy show. Leon becoming an articulate capt of CFC would be a great example for the indigenous community also - it'd be footy history.
WE still haven't sorted who should be the future c and vc - that's why hopefully Burns can do another year as capt.

 

[Real Insight]

My money is on Josh

$10,000/1 that he'll get it.