New Skipper?

[DJC]

Rohan Connolly has a look at three clubs who may change captains; Fremantle, Essendon and us:

[For Fremantle] There's probably no more appropriate time for a change of captaincy.

That, however, can't be said of the situations at Carlton or Essendon.

Bolton last Monday was, rightly, enthusiastically endorsing the concept of full-scale change across the club at Ikon Park, the theme, loosely, that with a virtually new club, anything was possible.
That "everything up for grabs" message was far more the idea than any preparation for Murphy to hand over the captaincy reins. But the Blues need to be careful how they go about the psychology of the delivery.

There's an obvious paucity of replacements for Murphy, for starters, Kade Simpson turning 32 next season, Michael Jamison having to concentrate on his own fitness and form, while to saddle Patrick Cripps with the role after just two seasons and 23 games of senior football would be an enormous and potentially costly gamble.

Murphy's quietish nature isn't everyone's captaincy cup of tea, but then the vast majority of those making that judgment aren't privy to the role he exercises around the club beyond match days.

And even on that score, what more could he have done in Carlton's disastrous 2015, finishing runner-up by just one vote to Cripps in the best and fairest?

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/ca...z3tPs0Z3iF

The comment about Murphy's nature and outsiders not being privy to his role around the club is most apt.

Connolly's closing comment is on the money too:

Change can be very healthy. Yet change simply for change's sake can indicate a shallowness of thought and lack of genuine vision. I reckon Worsfold and Bolton are better than that. And I'd be pretty surprised if either ended up altering the captaincy status quo.