I try not to buy into leadership debates as my views are negative and would serve no value.
I will offer one instance of leadership BM.

On Saturday, in the last quarter with only a few minutes to go, there was a contest in the centre which Freo won.
Paul Haselby and Peter Bell sprinted from the contest and Freo scored.
As soon as Freo won the ball, Kouta dropped his head and stood still and looked at the ground.
Nick Stevens, who incidentally had run more than anyone in navy blue, sprinted 80 metres to put pressure on the ball carrier.
There was only a couple of minutes left but one of our players refused to give up and the other conceded.

Which one would you prefer to be your designated leader?

Finally let me say that I have pushed Koutas barrow as much as anyone as a midfielder.
He is a quality player and a sensational person.
However his appointment as captain reinforces how devoid we are of leadership.

This isnt a doom and gloom post.
I personally believe we will win 3 of our next 4 games and be in the 8.
However success shouldnt wallpaper over the cracks.
We have real leadership issues atm and they need to be addressed.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Bluevain,

Which one will we lose so I can prepare myself?

Gotta say im perplexed by this whole thing.The preseason training reports painted a picture of spirit harmony,you little ripper,were sailing.We were in for a ripper of a season.Can it all collapse and crumble so quickly.Was the whole preseason false bravado ? Surely we are made of stronger fibre than that.Reckon a simple thing like winning a game of footy will work wonders.

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All my dangerous friends

These players as part of the leadership group should show more at training to justify their existence as 'so called LEADERS':

Kouta, Campo & Whitnall - STAY OUT ON THE GROUND and help our youngsters after training. Create a high performing culture. Make the younger players want to be there and learn, FFS men.

Sure the pre season was full of voice.
Leaders step up when it seems the road has been lost. Weve lost our way and we deperately need people to step up and lead us out of the maze.
Alot of it is harmony when the going gets tough.
So while were down youd think some senior players would run the extra mile????

Mickster a win would be great but the problem will continue. The problem is there because of the lack of leadership in main.

You cant expect a bunch of kids to just slash their way through the jungle without anyone showing them the way.

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For Pagans sake just speak and tell us will you????!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?!??!!??!?!.. we need to know and youre not saying anything!!!!!!

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Synbad, did you go to training when Sticks was captain? Did he often stay behind and work on skills and help the young'uns? Would be interesting to know what he was like, because he was a great leader on game day.

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I Know Greg Williams did!!! That's why he was such a champion and was so skilful with both hands and feet. Rubbed off with Ratten as he emulated Diesel's style.

Jarusa in those days only went to finals training but in those days we hardly had any real youth. I will say they werent really taken care of thats why we didnt have much youth. "We never rebuild at Carlton!!!"
That mantra went all the way through the club.. it was always about money and whatever.
Parking and Elliott knew nothing about kids and development. On ething about Sticks is he understood how to lead. If you ever met him youd know youd crawl over broken glass for Sticks. He would do the same back.
The great thing about Sticks is he will always look you in the eye no matter who you are and shake your hand with warmth. Like he means it.
If Sticks said something they did it. If Sticks says something to you you listen.. ask Nick Stevens .

He has charisma... he could lead.
He has passion ... he is still involved in the day to day running of this footy club.
Love to see how many of the current day crop will put their hand up in 10 years.

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What happens on the track is mostly engineered by the coaches Mick.
I however have no doubt that the players are confident, buoyant and enjoy each others company.
But when they cross the white line, they are in control of their own actions.
Some people stand up in adverse circumstances and others dont have the capacity.
We'll always find more about people when they lose than when its smooth sailing.

We all know we have the youngest list in the game and consequently probably the most impressionable.
What they learn today shapes what they will become.
The club has a responsibility to the players and supporters to supply the best possible role models.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

IMO, leaders are born, they are not created. Synbad's example of a 20yo Ball reinforce that. Our game has many examples of men handed the captaincy of their clubs at a young age & have then gone on to become greats of the game - Sticks, Carey, Ted Whitten to name a few.

John Terry is the 24yo captain of Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League. Not only is he about to lead his team to the EPL championship title, but he has just been named player of the season by his peers. A quote from him today from: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinene ... 17&cc=3436

"I just try to come back every season and improve on the last one. I try to be as consistent as possible, stay fully focused and keep trying to improve on the training ground, and then taking that on to the pitch."

I don't want this thread to turn into a Kouta bagging ession, but perhaps the club would be well-advised to hand the captaincy onto a new leader next year & preferably someone young.

Nick Stevens appears to be "the man" & perhaps Thornton should be appointed his deputy.

Luke Ball is a freak.. Blokes like Luke Ball dont grow on trees and he isnt the right example. He is just an example of how you go about your football.He tackles hard.. he has his nose broken every week (yes i know Campo had his face SHATTERED!!!!!- but Campo is superman and didnt need a helmet or a guard in 3 or 4 weeks like Hyde will after he returns in 3 or 4 weeks from a one inch hairline fracture ) Amazing how resilient Campo is.. SHATTERED face and hes out there no bruising or swelling.... eh Mark??

Anyway.. Ball is the next Voss.
Thank goodness they have Thomas as coach.

*Laughs at "shattered"*
He was smashed again 2 times against Freo too... probably by Medhurst....

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I'm of the opinion that we dont draft anyone who doesnt look likely to score above 90 in their TER's

Ball is academically brilliant but is a brilliant student of football and life in general.

Check out his tackle stats .. we all know how good he is as a footballer but he backs it up with grunt work too.

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See a leader doesnt need to be assigned assignments he does it himself (or she) if Denis gives a leader a simple assignment to lead the leader isnt a leader. I just think Denis wants these guys to just piss off so he can start again.
We dont go forwards properly till these contracts are gone...simple as that.

This isnt knee jerk.... its just fact!!

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thats the entire point - we shouldnt be drafting/keeping dumbasses that struggle mentally and just dont seem to get basic things (LA, norman, Fev being prime examples)

You can get away with just Fev if you have a couple of balls.
Throw Whitts into the not so smart group...

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cant say I know too much about the ball at hawthorn and the one up in sydney is too old (no one likes old balls )

Pretty sure we could add a few more players to that group (dumb people) - but then every club seems to have a few of those.

Out of curiousity how many footballers are successful academically? (ie get into melb/monash as opposed to the 'lesser' unis on their own merits out of highschool and complete it). As I understand it, not too many manage to do so? - Luke Ball, Andy McKay, Will Minson, Mike Fitzpatrick... - wouldnt mind a few more of those players around the club

Prender is doing law.

Johnno is doing physio.

I've seen Prenda at Monash once or twice...

Where does Will Minson go?

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Formerly Blues-Back2003.