Enough will be said and written about Trengove and Grimes as leaders but I just want to touch on the far more important role of the Leadership Group.

Jamar, Clark, Batram, Jones, Garland, and Frawley make up the LG with the captains.

They are imposing personalities in their own way and assuming Jamar's body holds up and Batram finds a niche, they are the future of the footy club for the next decade.

I wanted a U/24 LG and this was the best I could have hoped for; the ages will be at the start of the season 28, 24, 24, 24, 23, 23, with the captains 22 and 20.

What an excellent platform for our new generation of young players coming through to take the reigns.

Discussion points:

Moloney, Garland, Batram, Jamar, and Clark.

Enough will be said and written about Trengove and Grimes as leaders but I just want to touch on the far more important role of the Leadership Group.

Jamar, Clark, Batram, Jones, Garland, and Frawley make up the LG with the captains.

They are imposing personalities in their own way and assuming Jamar's body holds up and Batram finds a niche, they are the future of the footy club for the next decade.

I wanted a U/24 LG and this was the best I could have hoped for; the ages will be at the start of the season 28, 24, 24, 24, 23, 23, with the captains 22 and 20.

What an excellent platform for our new generation of young players coming through to take the reigns.

Discussion points:

Moloney, Garland, Batram, Jamar, and Clark.

Good post RP, especially the discussion points;

Moloney - will we ever learn the truth? Has every right to be gutted, but was it his choice?

Garland - very interesting promotion. Good on him - am very neutral about the decision, but he obviously has shown a level of commitment to the FD.

Bartram - from all reports, he's one of those players that every club needs. Cops sh!t on here, but is probably the first to roll up the sleeves and get his hands dirty.

Jamar - had to be in there I think. Has a crop of young rucks that one day will take his place, but he is happy teaching them, while improving his game too.

Clark - from all reports he's our top paid player. He has a role to play in this team, and if he does it well, how good could Watts get?

Good post RP, especially the discussion points; Moloney - will we ever learn the truth? Has every right to be gutted, but was it his choice? Garland - very interesting promotion. Good on him - am very neutral about the decision, but he obviously has shown a level of commitment to the FD. Bartram - from all reports, he's one of those players that every club needs. Cops sh!t on here, but is probably the first to roll up the sleeves and get his hands dirty. Jamar - had to be in there I think. Has a crop of young rucks that one day will take his place, but he is happy teaching them, while improving his game too. Clark - from all reports he's our top paid player. He has a role to play in this team, and if he does it well, how good could Watts get?

Interesting thoughts.

I am sure Batram is made in the mould of JMac, but is that enough when you are not as blessed in the skills dept?

Clark is our fiery FF with a lot of pressure on his shoulders. They must really see a leader of men, here, to put him in the LG...

Jamar should have already been there. I am glad he has taken the step in this pre-season.

Garland is an excellent on-field 'do as I do' leader. You rarely see him be demonstrative, but you rarely see him beaten, and you rarely see him looking at his bootlaces.

Moloney is unlucky to have his failings occur in a year of nearly zero leadership from Melbourne players. If you were ever going to get drunk on a sunday in season, don't do it in a year when you are a leader and the whole club is calling for generational change.

I think this is a very bold and brave move by the coach and the FD and one that I'm sure we will cop a lot of criticism for, but I am quite confident it will pay off. My only concern is with Bartram in the leadership group, don't get me wrong I love the bloke and his attack on the contest is second to none but I'm just not sure if he will feature in our best 22 for this year and years to come unless he has really worked on his disposal by both hand and foot.

I recall someone posted last year, with some authority that Neeld had 4 players inked in for key roles and that Bartram was one of them, I seem to recall maybe Chip and Grimes were others - not sure if anyone (or the poster) can recall the post but it seems on the money. I think #3 needs to figure in the best 21s.

I think this is a very bold and brave move by the coach and the FD and one that I'm sure we will cop a lot of criticism for, but I am quite confident it will pay off. My only concern is with Bartram in the leadership group, don't get me wrong I love the bloke and his attack on the contest is second to none but I'm just not sure if he will feature in our best 22 for this year and years to come unless he has really worked on his disposal by both hand and foot.

Nick Maxwell?

I like the fact that we've given "Generation D" the reigns, but i would have thought there could be room for one of Beamer, Flash, Green or Rivers? Surely its a slap in the face to the older group who have stuck by the club through a lean period? Especially for Green & Davey who have rejected outside offers to stick by the club

I like the fact that we've given "Generation D" the reigns, but i would have thought there could be room for one of Beamer, Flash, Green or Rivers? Surely its a slap in the face to the older group who have stuck by the club through a lean period? Especially for Green & Davey who have rejected outside offers to stick by the club

There's nothing stopping these guys being leaders on the field (and off). You don't have to be in the LG

There's nothing stopping these guys being leaders on the field (and off). You don't have to be in the LG

correct, however you cant honestly tell me that if you were Brad Green you wouldnt be slighty disenchanted

correct, however you cant honestly tell me that if you were Brad Green you wouldnt be slighty disenchanted

Maybe, but it depends. Green may have indicated he would prefer to focus on his footy and didn't want to be in the glare of leadership. I dunno.

Moloney is a bit harder to figure out

I worry a little how Aaron will take it

Seems all those dropped were all captain or co-vice-captains. Maybe a clean slate was seen as more harmonious

I don't think we will ever get the true non-spin picture

I hope the coaches sat down with all those dropped from the LG/©/(VC) and sorted it out amicably

There's nothing stopping these guys being leaders on the field (and off).

Except for their own flaws...

I like the fact that we've given "Generation D" the reigns, but i would have thought there could be room for one of Beamer, Flash, Green or Rivers? Surely its a slap in the face to the older group who have stuck by the club through a lean period? Especially for Green & Davey who have rejected outside offers to stick by the club

Yeah, it is. But there is an argument to say that if you get rid of one, you have to get rid of all. All for one, blame for all.

probably the reason behind the decision being such a long time coming!

I think it's a really clear message to the whole team that reputations mean nothing. For the three older blokes who have been dropped from the leadership group - apart from the fact that they can all still lead by example on and off the field - my hope is that they can concentrate on their own form without the additional burden of responsibility for the whole playing group. I suspect that Flash, for all his stated ambitions, found that a heavy load last year. As for Moloney, well it's a test of character, but one I'm sure he'll pass. (I suspect that but for the fiasco last year he would still be in the LG, but I also suspect that for Neeld, this would have created a major question mark that can only be erased - if at all - on the playing field and not at training. Don't forget where Neeld came from).

If you consider the new group, not one of them has put a foot wrong off the field (at least as far as I've noticed in the press) and you certainly can't argue with the on-field commitment. It's been clear since the outset that Neeld intended to put his own mark on this team and this leadership group can be seen as more "neelding".

I think we all might have worries about JG's tendency to injury, and possibly MJ's as well, but for me, one of the characteristics of a leader is that other members of the team perform better in their presence and while I don't know much about Clark, I've seen all of the others have that effect on the field.

Garland is an excellent on-field 'do as I do' leader. You rarely see him be demonstrative, but you rarely see him beaten, and you rarely see him looking at his bootlaces.

Couldn't have said it better. Same for Frawley although style of play is different.

correct, however you cant honestly tell me that if you were Brad Green you wouldn't be slighty disenchanted

You might be, but you've got to get over it. Life is full of disappointments. Every disappointment is also an opportunity for something different. If Brad Green gets the 'sulks', it would say more about him than the club. I doubt he will.

I don't know why we think the club is going to somehow fall apart because a few guys get disappointed about being dropped from the leadership group, or don't make the leadership group when they've aspired to it.

If every footballer who failed to make the leadership group at their club got disenchanted and pulled up stumps, half the players in the AFL would leave every year.

After Last year big things had to change...lots of them...They have.

There is no way Neeld would have any of the previous older leaders in charge...They Failed..for whatever reason. They were Bailey's leaders.

Mark Neeld has one shot at coaching...

My concern with Bartram is his fitness -he's rumoured to have long-term issues with his knee. I believe he had some work done prior to Christmas and has been stuck in the rehab group for the past few weeks.

The relatively young age of the captains doesn't worry me. We have the 4th youngest list in the AFL so it fits with our future development.

Some have questioned Clark, but we needed a guy from the forward group who will be around for the next few years and will play a pivotal role in our forward set-up.

Green and Davey just don't tick all the boxes here. It doesn't matter that he hasn't played a game with the Dees. Look at Judd at Carlton.

Also - 8 guys in the leadership group. That just leaves 14 positions to be filled. We could have a very experienced side playing for Casey this year.

Also - 8 guys in the leadership group. That just leaves 14 positions to be filled. We could have a very experienced side playing for Casey this year.

Let's hope there is MUCH competition for positions in our senior side....

Doesn't bother me who gets them, as long as they are deserved.

I don't get why people are so bewildered by Bartram's selection.

Since when do you have to be the best and most skilled player to qualify as a quality leader?

Bartram works his butt off and has done so since the moment he arrived at the club. He is about as talented as bloody Nick Maxwell, and if every one of our players worked as hard as him, we would never lose by 186 points.

I don't get why people are so bewildered by Bartram's selection.

Since when do you have to be the best and most skilled player to qualify as a quality leader?

Bartram works his butt off and has done so since the moment he arrived at the club. He is about as talented as bloody Nick Maxwell, and if every one of our players worked as hard as him, we would never lose by 186 points.

Here bloody here sister!!

I don't get why people are so bewildered by Bartram's selection.

Since when do you have to be the best and most skilled player to qualify as a quality leader?

Bartram works his butt off and has done so since the moment he arrived at the club. He is about as talented as bloody Nick Maxwell, and if every one of our players worked as hard as him, we would never lose by 186 points.

Spot on Jaded

He gets canned by a lot on here.

He was one of the first selected by the old FD and is now being put in the leadership group by the new FD.

Me things they both know a lot more than some on here

As I said bartrams heart and hardness at the contest is second to none but what role will he be playing in the team? I see what you're saying about nick Maxwell but he reads the play beautifully and knows where to be when he needs to be third man up at a contest. Sure bartram can probably shut down a small forward player but he isn't gonna hurt the opposition any other way. I can just see someone like a bennell or Strauss doing the same job and being a lot more dangerous if not this year then certainly in the near future. Am happy to be proven wrong as I do like the kid.

As I said bartrams heart and hardness at the contest is second to none but what role will he be playing in the team? I see what you're saying about nick Maxwell but he reads the play beautifully and knows where to be when he needs to be third man up at a contest. Sure bartram can probably shut down a small forward player but he isn't gonna hurt the opposition any other way. I can just see someone like a bennell or Strauss doing the same job and being a lot more dangerous if not this year then certainly in the near future. Am happy to be proven wrong as I do like the kid.

Bartram has both of them covered for the next few years

I don't believe being in the leadership group is an automatic, you're in the team this week. You can be an awesome leader but out of form etc for whatever reason, and not be in the team. IMHO 22 spots are up for grabs every week.

I don't believe being in the leadership group is an automatic, you're in the team this week. You can be an awesome leader but out of form etc for whatever reason, and not be in the team. IMHO 22 spots are up for grabs every week.

I agree Benno, and more importantly, I am very confident that our coach will see it the same way.