Hi all,

Reading through some of the posts regarding captaincy and who our best players are, I am noticing a lack of respect for Cam Bruce. People seem to take him for granted, as though he is a solid player but not exceptional. This is a man who after Round 9 last year was equal Brownlow favourite.

I noticed in a post just minutes ago, that someone said he has not stood up in big games. That shows a massive lack of respect, after his standout performances on the Queen's Birthday and the first Elimination final last year.

His kicking is not that bad. He kicks a few floaters but I think you'll find that watch any other player and they'll do the same. The difference is that people have come to expect so much from Brucey, they expect him to drill every single ball either straight down Neita's throat or through the big sticks.

Cam Bruce is IMO our most important player. I think if you take him out of the side, then you will notice it immediately. Those people who say he does not deserve a chance to captain the club are talking bollocks.

If there is any player at MFC who deserves a shot at the captaincy after Neitz, it's Brucey. Some supporters here need to recognise just how gooda player he is and how important he is to this team.

Cheers

i think bruce is a fantactic player, i even have 32 on my jumper, but i still dont think he would make the best captain for our club

He is an absolute gun

One of our top 3

Should he be Captain? Never

He is an absolute gun

One of our top 3

Should he be Captain? Never

I love that you can sum this up in 3 lines.

Absolutely spot on.

He is an absolute gun

One of our top 3

Should he be Captain? Never

do you mind elaborating?

Cameron Bruce would make a fine captain of the Melbourne Football Club...

His on-field performances (when not injured or at 50%) have been nothing short of brilliant!! The bloke is a gun footballer who on his day can set the ground alight with his silky skills and freaky forward 50 plays.... Hang on, this sounds like a few of our players... TJ, Davey etc....

I believe the only reason a lot of people would prefer to steer clear of Bruce as captain is physical stature

When people think of a skipper, they think of hard men of the game.... Blokes who actually have muscle tone! I'm sure Cam would be the first to tell us that he isn't exactly built like a Mark Riccuito or David Neitz, but we only have to look at the leadership that a bloke by the name of James Hird has given the Bombers over his career....

I believe Brock will get his day if he stays with us long enough and keeps working at his craft, but until such a day, I believe that giving the captaincy to Number 32 would be a wise decision! The bloke bleeds Red 'n Blue blood and I think he has earnt his stripes!

That is my humble opinion anyway....

do you mind elaborating?

He is not captain material. A very good player, but goes missing when the heat is on. Doesnt have the ability to lift those around him

I would take Brad Green before him, but i think its obvious that Brock will be the next skipper, starting in 2008.

If he isnt, something has gone horribly wrong

You can always rely on Yze-not-so-Magic to have an opinion on everything regardless of knowledge or maturity.

Enough of the glib put-downs YNSM and start substantiating your obversations. You're rapidly becoming a serial pest/poster who wants to see his name in print at every opportunity ie Demonland, Demonology, Big Footy etc.

One well considered and backed-up opinion would be welcome. All you're doing here is adding fuel to the fire that Demonland is populated by testosterone driven teens.

Cameron Bruce would well deserve the captaincy. Yes, I realise Brock will be captain one day, but not at the moment or even next year. Here's why.

Bruce sets a superb example at training (an undervalued quality but critically important in terms of team culture and leadership); he leads by example on the field; he goes in hard when necessary; he runs all day like there's no tomorrow; he's respected by his peers; he often takes the hardest job on the field ie Heard; he has been consistent for a long time; he doesn't go missing as some assume (look at the games closely); he's been moved from pillar to post during many games and copes admirably IMO.

There's more (along the lines of 'greatness being thrust upon him' with reference to Brock but the allusion may escape you) so that'll do for now. The bottom line is we're lucky to have some genuine leaders in reserve when the great Neita retires.

Bruce is an awesome player, in fact i don't think we can come close to challenging this year without him having a good season, but i'm not sure that he would be able to play his natural game as captain. I wouldn't be particuarly angry if the club decided to appoint Bruce next year, but i think the club and Cam would be better for if we had someone else.

His kicking is not that bad.

Yeah, I agree with that. He has a habit of shanking kicks slightly more regularly than you'd prefer, but the way he's been crucified for it is a touch out of whack for me. I reckon last year was one of his worst by foot, but one of his best otherwise. I remember thinking in his 3-vote bame against the Bulldogs where he stopped Johnson that barely a kick went where it was supposed to. There are a handful of better kicks in the team, and he'll certainly never be a TJ, but he kicked some important difficult ones last year. A good example is one I just watched then in the Saints final in the third quarter where Miller found him deep in the pocket. The commentators, including Darcy, wrote him off and were disappointed Miller didn't kick to Neitz one out close to the square. Bruce proceeded to calmly slot the goal and run back to his mark. I think you'll find he's done this quite regularly in his career.

IMO bad kicks are guys like Godfrey, and to a lesser extent (slightly) Ward, who almost never deliver the ball in scintillating fashion. Bruce makes mistakes by foot, some of them horrendous, but then has proven time and time again that he CAN do the incredible. Not a bad kick, just inconsistent.

I love that you can sum this up in 3 lines.

Absolutely spot on.

If Jaded had her way, Miller would be been captain by now

You can always rely on Yze-not-so-Magic to have an opinion on everything regardless of knowledge or maturity.

Enough of the glib put-downs YNSM and start substantiating your obversations. You're rapidly becoming a serial pest/poster who wants to see his name in print at every opportunity ie Demonland, Demonology, Big Footy etc.

One well considered and backed-up opinion would be welcome. All you're doing here is adding fuel to the fire that Demonland is populated by testosterone driven teens.

Cameron Bruce would well deserve the captaincy. Yes, I realise Brock will be captain one day, but not at the moment or even next year. Here's why.

Bruce sets a superb example at training (an undervalued quality but critically important in terms of team culture and leadership); he leads by example on the field; he goes in hard when necessary; he runs all day like there's no tomorrow; he's respected by his peers; he often takes the hardest job on the field ie Heard; he has been consistent for a long time; he doesn't go missing as some assume (look at the games closely); he's been moved from pillar to post during many games and copes admirably IMO.

There's more (along the lines of 'greatness being thrust upon him' with reference to Brock but the allusion may escape you) so that'll do for now. The bottom line is we're lucky to have some genuine leaders in reserve when the great Neita retires.

Seems a few people in this thread agree with me

And they are much more respected posters than you, Roberto Maximus

My captaincy choices

1. Mclean

2. Green

3. Rivers

4. Bruce

Bruce is a fantastic player and has a lot of captaincy attributes - consistent, hard working, loyal, clever, class player, etc.

I do feel though that when it comes to a sport like footy, inspiration is a critical quality of a good captain. Bruce is a top player and sets a great example, but does his style of footy inspire? It's exciting, it's great to watch, it's critically important to the team, but I don't know whether it can be classed as inspirational.

That's not having a go at Bruce. He is the player he is and that player is a key member of the team.

Hird, Voss, Carey, Ricciuto - the great captains all have that crucial element of the ability to inspire those around them. That's their game style. A footy captain IMO must have that quality.

Bruce at his best is a premier AFL player. He is capable of being named All-Australian and winning a B&F. He provides our club great service and is vital to our success.

Despite all this he seems to lack that inspirational factor.

Neitz has got it. McLean has got it. Bruce doesn't.

Neitz has got it. McLean has got it. Bruce doesn't.

Correct

If Jaded had her way, Miller would be been captain by now

That just proves that you don't read what I write, instead you pop up whenever you feel like picking a fight. Too bad for you that I have better things to do in life than indulge your childish needs.

I agree with SJ, Bruce doesn't have 'inspirational' written all over him. He isn't very intimidating, despite being a very VERY good footballer (again for those who can't read... a very VERY good footballer), and he doesn't strike me as the type to stand up for his mates in a battle and drag their sorry behinds over the line. When you compare him to great leaders like Voss or Roo, his ability might not be too far behind, but the killer instinct is just not the same.

Talking about the way he trains or prepares for games is irrelevant. Yze is apperantly the most prepared, best- trained player at Melbourne, does that make him worthy of being captain? Of course these elements are important, but there is an apperant lack of ruthlessness about Bruce.

When Neitz is out there, you know he will hurt anyone who gets in his way, as will Brock. I can't say the same for Bruce. This doesn't make him less of a player of course, and he is still enormously important to our side. But just because someone is a good player, does not mean they will make a good leader.

There is absolutely no debate over his ability as a player. None.

Cameron Bruce would well deserve the captaincy. Yes, I realise Brock will be captain one day, but not at the moment or even next year. Here's why.

Bruce sets a superb example at training (an undervalued quality but critically important in terms of team culture and leadership); he leads by example on the field; he goes in hard when necessary; he runs all day like there's no tomorrow; he's respected by his peers; he often takes the hardest job on the field ie Heard; he has been consistent for a long time; he doesn't go missing as some assume (look at the games closely); he's been moved from pillar to post during many games and copes admirably IMO.

Most disagreeing with Max. Bob seem to do so on the common premise that unless you can run through someone, you don't qualify for leadership's top job.

What a load of crap.

Some examples of fine leaders: Brett Kirk, Chris Judd, Robert Flower, Garry Lyon, James Hird, Darrell Baldock, Peter Crimmins, Keith Greig. etc.

All can take punishment bravely, like Bruce, but didn't necessarily run through opponents. If that was the case, types like Dermie would have got the gig over Michael Tuck.

Bruce will make a very good captain if fit, and with his age, then a good transition to McLean. Bruce has been handed one of the biggest disappoinments - missing out on a GF team due to injury - spit the dummy?

Not likely.

Bruce will captain the MFC there is no doubt about it,

he doesnt have it ?

he goes missing when the heat is on ?

please explain.. get some hard facts and ill believe u...

u people on demonland have made me hate mclean. i wish he never got that WEAK FREE KICK.

Mclean has one thing over Bruce

bruce is not consistantly injured- because he doesnt go wreckless into a contest wat many of u call so called "going hard" just let me tell u he had plenty of tackles and im sure he did not have as much contested possesion as his ability to run off his player is the best of almost any in the leauge.

Theres a saying that sums this one up "Not all front line staff make good managers" and vise versa. Bruce is a very good footballer however he doesent have captaining qualities. Our future is with Brock. Thats all ill say

do you mind elaborating?

no elaborating needed.

think his captain material? you just don't get it.

u people on demonland have made me hate mclean. i wish he never got that WEAK FREE KICK.

Congratulations, you just won the award for most ridiculous comment written on Demonland, ever.

Oh and yeah, the club should appoint Bruce captain because he isn't injury prone... except for those seasons where he got injured and missed a huge part of the year because of those injuries, and when he came back he wasn't having any impact (unlike McLean, who came back from his injuries and made significant impact).

Congratulations, you just won the award for most ridiculous comment written on Demonland, ever.

Oh and yeah, the club should appoint Bruce captain because he isn't injury prone... except for those seasons where he got injured and missed a huge part of the year because of those injuries, and when he came back he wasn't having any impact (unlike McLean, who came back from his injuries and made significant impact).

LOL agree. Even I have made some weird statements but not that bad

u people on demonland have made me hate mclean. i wish he never got that WEAK FREE KICK.

Bruce will captain the MFC there is no doubt about it,

he doesnt have it ?

he goes missing when the heat is on ?

please explain.. get some hard facts and ill believe u...

u people on demonland have made me hate mclean. i wish he never got that WEAK FREE KICK.

Mclean has one thing over Bruce

bruce is not consistantly injured- because he doesnt go wreckless into a contest wat many of u call so called "going hard" just let me tell u he had plenty of tackles and im sure he did not have as much contested possesion as his ability to run off his player is the best of almost any in the leauge.

Worst. Post. Ever.

LOL agree. Even I have made some weird statements but not that bad

Under-rated? I guess it all evens out. For many years when the tough got going, he like others departed. But I have no complaints about his 2006. He kept going in the tough games too.