So who does that leave?

FEV

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

Isn't Lappin the one who spoke up on behalf of the playing group last year with reservations about the game plan they were being instructed to follow? (and then was subsequently demoted to ants).

Sounds like he's got some serious respect amongst the group. A captain doesn't have to be the one to intimidate, he is there to lead. The question I would ask in tis debate is which potential captain would other players be willing to go to war with?

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I love spinach

Fev.

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Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

I think that we do not really have any stand outs for captain. All players have their faults.

Given that the club has pinned its hope on youth and we are emerging from a long period of darkness I would like to see a newbie get it a la Sticks way back when.

I think that if Murphy had not got injured last year then he should have been captain as he has shown more aplomb, skill, talent, promise and given us more hope than any player that I can remember in recent years.

I think that recruiting him was the first genuine piece of luck/skill that Carlton have had in a very long time.

He is a good communicator and will not be intimidated. I remember reading his column last year after he got injurred. He said that he wanted to take a few lions players with him and he was surprised that none of his other team mates came to support him.

I reckon that in the vaccuum that is CFC's leadership, Murphy is the only real stand out.

Of course you can not give it to hime after 13 games or whatever it is, but maybe we could have four captains this year: Stevens, Whits, Fev and Skinny and they rotate from week to week and then appoint Murph as the real Captain next year as we emerge back onto the field.

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"our guest is dressed by hand-me-downs, hair designed by pillow"

waite, simpson

eh?

what has lance actually done? i mean i like lance but his last few seasons have been average, this year the first half of the year was great but the second half was ok. thats just my opinion.

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"I can't wait to win a premiership with this club" - Fev

If those responsible for making the decision are half as undecided as this thread then maybe they should look at a 'rotated captaincy' for the year and hope Murph or Walks but their hand up in a big way for 2008. Otherwise it's probably got to be Lance.

It has to be Lance , he is a natural leader and will be able to handle the pressure that goes with it. Fev is a mental lightweight and Skinny is too old and only has a year left. No one else really stands out but Gibbs or Murph will take over from Lance after 2-3 years I'd say.

I have my reservations about Fev being captain now. I was a big supporter but have jumped off.

I reckon Whitnall isnt captain material either because he gets away with murder on the field. If you dont know what I am talking read any post of Synbads' on Lance and you know what I mean. IMO Synbad is correct on this one. I thought Lance had turned the corner in some areas of his game but his second half of 06 was back to bad habits.

Stevens body language and style of playing ,which is too much in the offensive doesnt lend himself to be a leader. I know he played hurt last year but he gives the impression of not being captain material.

Why would you give the captaincy to a guy who probably wont be on the list in 08, who got dropped last year to the Bullants and who shows no physical presence on the field. Lappin has been a very good player for the Blues, highly skilled as we know ,but not physical enough and on the way out anyway.


As time marches I become more in favour of taking a punt on one of the young kids. I have no idea what Kade Simpson is like off the field but if that part is ok then make him captain. Its worth a shot. He plays like a leader on the field. He is courageous ,accountable , runs straight and was inspirational last year when everything around him was turning to shit. He seems focused on the field but is prepared to fly the flag.

He has been at the club longer than Murphy etc. All the senior blokes arnt good enough to be captain IMO.

If the offield stuff is ok make Simmo captain.

Everything you say about making Simmo captain is logical and I'm sure he'd make a fine captain, in fact he'd probably excel at it.

I'd have 2 questions though.

1. After 1 breakout season does he really deserve the captaincy yet?

Given that no one else really deserves it, the answer probably is that he deserves it as much as anyone else.

2. What happens if we give Simmo the captaincy and either Murphy/Gibbs/Walker are ready for it 2-4 years time?

I've got no problem Simmo doing the job for 5 years and then handing the reigns over. Grant Thomas may have been on to something with his rotation policy, but maybe he has the number of years wrong.

What if it was every 5 years rather than every year?

Obviously it wouldnt be set in stone. If Simmo wasn't coping with it, you could replace him earlier than that. If Murphy/Gibbs/Walker weren't ready in 5 you wouldn't take it from him, but you could plan to rotate after 5 years.

I'm not a huge fan of giving the captaincy to players under 25. I reckon they're mature enough at that age, and are set in the game enough by then to take on the responsibility. Why burn them out with the pressure before then? We may not have that choice given the lack of candidates over the age of 23 now and also give the potential of some of our players under 21 at the moment, who could be ready in a couple of years.

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Good points Brad . I have reservations about giving the captaincy to someone too young as well.Thats why I asked the question about what Simpson is like as a person. This is a difficult decision because the 4 guys who are old and experienced enough for the job IMO arnt good enough for various reasons.

The club has not had the balls to take risks and make hard calls. If someone isnt good enough for the job why give it to them.

Who is this guy???

Obviously knows sweet FA about football.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

Wiggo for captain.

I'm guessing you didn't watch much footy last year, especially live. Lappin has been great in the past but last season he struggled to hit targets and was dropped accordingly (or have you forgotten that?). Not being able to hit a target or kick a ball over 40 meters isn't a good thing when your a half back flank/quarterback type player.

Who the hell are you??

No you're right. I'd only seen EVERY game for the past few seasons before flying out in early August '06 and subsequently missed the last few rounds. On your basis of employment - obviously through superior knowledge I might add, we'd have sacked the entire team by now. You might want to pop into an Optometrist, I'm surprised you can see anything past your monitor with such shortsightedness.

Shocking all year? Admittedly he wasn't at his best, but Matty's been the backbone of the club in testing times for many years.

Go jump buddy.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

Ahhhh, feel the love in the room. I would have thought that even the most ardent fan of Skinny's (and as I said earlier, I'd put myself in that category) would have to agree he had a disappointing '06. I went to the games too, probably Andain did as well, and I am short-sighted, and tend to watch my footy through a navy-blue coloured lens, but Matty had a disappointing year in '06, given his high standards in the past.

Why Andain has to carry the can for Lappin's performance, I'm not sure

As silly as this sounds I would keep Kouta as Captain this year and actually give the job to murphy in 2008. I hate the idea of short term captains. I like the concept of building a destiny around a leader re:-Voss & Brisbane. Murphy seems the ideal candidate for this concept.

Well Buzzalenko you can always help him carry the can. I assume you're agreeing that he was SIMPLY SHOCKING for the ENTIRE season (In 10 games he averaged more then 26 disps), and you wouldn't have him in your team in '07. That is a 233 game All Australian (arguably should've been dual in two entirely different positions) that plays front and back. Someone that's only played a handful of bad games and always been the team player bar one well documented contract dispute which neither of us know the details of - unless you ask Andain of course.

For a "supposed" Lappin fan I find it humourous you're in agreeance. A dissapointing season hardly constitutes being "simply shocking" and instant removal from the list for '07.

Take your buddy down to OPSM and you might get the 2nd pair 50% off.

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

How does it help the team if you gather 26 possessions and the vast majority of them go down the throat of the opposition? Last season he turned it over more times than a cook at the Pancake Parlour.

A 30 year old senior player, in the leadership group, getting dropped to the VFL and being left there for two weeks is never a good sign.

I admire your support for Lappin and I hope he turns it around this season, I really do, but don't be surprised if Lappin "retires" at the end of the year if he continues with his current form for a third straight year. He'll play most games next year, even if I think he shouldn't.

I've expressed my opinion before and I still believe that Lance should be captain. Fev is just too unstable, too much of a loose canon who I don't think you could trust with captaincy of a football club. Giving him the captaincy would also reflect poorly on the club, the perception being too negative. Stevens? The same bloke who (somewhat deservedly) was copping it widely on here and at games for lack of accountability, unwillingness to chase, poor body-language etc etc but now we think he should be captain?!? Great player but not convinced he is captaincy material. Lappin is an interesting one and he does seem to have a fair amount of respect within the playing group, is very experienced etc. But from the outside he doesn't come across as a great talker and he would be no certainty I wouldn't have thought to even be on the list in 2008 possibly through retirement at the end of 2007. If he was a few years younger though he might've been a real chance. Kade Simpson can't be made captain when he has only just had a breakthrough year, being in the leadership group is something good for him but doesn't have the runs on the board to captain the club. Same with blokes like Walker, Murphy etc.

So that just leaves Lance. If you watch him he actually does provide more on-field leadership than any of our other players in terms of directing players, encouraging them etc. He has improved his output in the last two seasons after several seasons marred by injury and poor form. Yes he does lack charisma but if you hear him talk about the game he generally does say accurate and perceptive things. His weight problems seem to be behind him, will play for a few years yet, appears to genuinely love the club etc. He is NOT an absolutely ideal embodiment of everything you could ever want in a leader but he is the best candidate currently and hence should be made captain.

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.