Next Captain

[kruddler]

I think on the Staging For Frees Index, Murphy rates pretty low IMO, in an industry where such habits are not only encouraged, but dare I say also discussed and rehearsed.

Compare Selwood and Murphy.

Both stage for free kicks. One earns them more than the other and comes off most weeks looking like a mummy.

Selwood would practice staging for free kicks, or at least earning them with his shrug.
Murphy doesn't need to practice throwing his head back.

I've said it before - much too much is made of the role of captain - one individual simply cannot make that much difference.

How much difference can a colour make? What about a whole jumper design?
I'm tipping a lot less than a captain, but yet, our club, and others around the world, have changed them in order to turn fortunes around in one way or another.

Keep in mind playing football in your local league is different to that of AFL level. A Captain at AFL level needs to have more strings to their bow.

As stupid as it sounds, the right captain can not just ease pressure on the coach, but the whole club.

Look at how the people on here who used to give it to Gibbs on a weekly basis. Even if he played a blinder, some people simply didn't like the way he went about it. Bryce Squibbs could often be heard on here and in the outer. That is how opposition supporters see him. That trickles into the media as well.
Similar can be said about Marc Murphy, except being captain the scrutiny is 10-fold.

Look at how the media have already jumped on board the Cripps-train and suggesting Murphy should be replaced.
Any poor performance Murphy puts in from here will reignite that debate. He is a divisive figure outside our football club. As a result pressure is heaped on him, and the club. Bolton is forced to defend him at press conferences and forced to defend his own stance. Questions are asked of those above him as well.

Cripps as captain and 95% of that noise disappears.

In short, the captain should represent your brand. Not only for your teammates, but the extended AFL community as a whole.