AFL captians/skippers.... how they are choosen??? (read inside)?

Question

I was wondering are captians best in particular positions... like midfielder, half back, forwards. Which position are captians mostly playong in?

What is their role? Do they actually tell some players what to do whent he are on the field? (or is that the runners and the coach?) Whya re they chosen? (rolemodels?, good plkayers?)

Answer 1

Darren glass was chosen because he is well respected around the club, he is also great at what he does and he is stable and reliable and not in the lime light. they chose him because he is passionate about the club and is a leader.

We had cousins and Judd as captains, both in the midfield and they did happen to lead us to a premiership but i would perfer to have a stable and trustworthy captain like glass (w.a boy) who i my opinion would never give up on his club then one who is likely to move home eg. Judd.

BTW pavlich is the best possible option for fremantle!!

Answer 2

There are 8 captains in the midfield, 5 forwards, now that Neitz has retired and there are only a couple of backmen captaining a side at the moment.

Many clubs opt for a leadership group which consists of 2 - 3, maybe 4 or 5 players that take on the captaincy role and this often provides the team with a lot of composure and offers a lot of teamwork with a lot of different opinions of what to do in a certain situation. This could help a side but there are negatives to this procedure as it can often hinder ones club too.

I believe that the role of a captain is to be a good role model - show courage, passion for the game, enthusiasm and obviously set a very good example for the younger guys coming through the team, that will often look up to their captain.

This often means that the best (or one of the best) player/s is always picked for captaincy as the best player of a side would find it easier to lead by example.

Answer 3

Most captains are midfielders (8). Some are forwards (6 inc Neitz) and there is only two backmen captains right now. Matthew Lloyd was saying recently that it's very hard to captain a losing team, when you're standing at full-forward.

They are chosen for leadership qualities, being a good player does not really come into it.

Answer 4

I've always thought that it would be best to lead from the front and be a midfielder/forward so you can really lift your team. It's always harder at the back, (like Darren Glass at the Eagles) to lift so I always wanted Dean Cox to get it :)

But Tom Harley (Geelong) does a good job captaining although he has plenty of talent in his team and a lot of backup from superstars like Ablett, Selwood, Johnson etc.

The captain should be chosen for how they lead, and keeping out of trouble and setting a good example and helping other guys out, and also being very good players usually.

Answer 5

I've always found the best captains are the quiet, constructive leaders rather than the best players.  The Cats have a leadership group with one leader in each of forward, midfield and backs and a few senior, respected players in the group.  Most of their work is off the field in planning, inspiring and leading training.  On the field they're good enough to lead by example of endeavour, even if they aren't the highest skilled players.  Harley fits this mould perfectly.

The game plan should be clear before the game - only the coach varies that.  So position shouldn't be all that important - as the on-field work rate and the reminders to stick to the plan are what matters.  

But Lloydy has a point - it's hard to have a high work rate when the ball's trapped in your defensive circle and I'm sure the plan is to get the ball to Lloyd somehow!!! :-)