Brock McLean is ready to make amends

"BROCK McLean still wants to be a Melbourne captain. Right now, all his coach wants him to do is start thinking like one."

Well said Dean Bailey. I like that!

Brock McLean is ready to make amends

"BROCK McLean still wants to be a Melbourne captain. Right now, all his coach wants him to do is start thinking like one."

Well said Dean Bailey. I like that!

Good news that his twisted knee is minor and he'll be available next weekend.

As for the captaincy, he's way too immature at the moment for the club to even consider in 12 months.

I disagree. I don't think getting in a couple of fights overseas should lose him captaincy. Ultimately, it's all about whether the playing group respect him or not. And clearly they do, and would play well under him. They are footy players for Gods sake, a lot of them are naturally aggressive so to expect them to be choir boys all the time is just unrealistic. I wouldn't want Bruce or Green as captain for the very reason that they just never would get in a fight. ironic.

I wouldn't want Bruce or Green as captain for the very reason that they just never would get in a fight. ironic.

Obviously common sense and abilty to think through issues under pressure are not strong criteria in your judgement.

Why footballers should not be subject to the same standards as the rest of the community is puzzling?

Its a pity we did not get that man of fine judgement and social standing Michael Voss as our Coach.

Awesome read to start the day :D

He has made some truly idiotic decisions lately, but his strength of character to own up to those mistakes and go out of his way to discuss them with his coach, is a great indication that as a whole he is so much better than these individual incidents.

He clearly loves the club, and he clearly knows what he wants to achieve.

Maybe in certain moments his age catches up to him, but I don't know many 21 year olds who are as passionate and as focused as him.

The day he is appointed to be the captain of the MFC, is going to be a very good day indeed.

Good news that his twisted knee is minor and he'll be available next weekend.

As for the captaincy, he's way too immature at the moment for the club to even consider in 12 months.

Is everyone forgetting how good Brock was in 06, before his 07 season was ruined by his foot injury?

I hope all these incidents only add to his character and experience so he can prove himself this year, and be awarded the captaincy next year.

Qualities I want in a captain

1. Really Tough; never shirk an issue
2. Genuine footballer
3. In the top 3 players at the club
4. Lead by example on and off the field.

I think 2008 will be the year where Brock lets his football do the talking (Hopefully staying fully fit) , and realises that if he can control himself off the field, (No more burnouts; and lots of thanking people for the offer to fight, but declining) that he is the obvious choice as captain of MFC for 2009 and beyond.

From all reports, he was absolutely tearing the park up before his slight knee injury. If he only loses 2 weeks momentum, he should still hit round 1 primed and ready to go and remind everyone he is our premier midfielder and one of the best in the league.

I’d love to see Brock McLean as captain of the Melbourne Football Club.

But it still boils down to the fact that he’s not ready for it. He still has not

yet played enough consistent football over a sustained period of time for

his selection to be justified. Sure he had a great 2006, but Brad Miller had an

outstanding year in his 2nd or 3rd year too, it doesn’t mean you’ll go on to be

a superstar at such a young age.

Showing leadership qualities is one thing, but we’re not about to give Jack Grimes

the captaincy now are we? It has to be earned, invariably the best side at each

club is their captain (with the exception of St Kilda who’ve given it to all bar the

boot-studder). Brock McLean is not yet our best player. If he puts in two solid

seasons, and either wins or places in the B&F, then I think he’ll be ready.

But for now, comments from this article such as:

"He can say whatever he likes about me. It's water off a duck's back.

I don't really care what he thinks about me," McLean said of the curator.

And

"What's the point of bringing it up? If he wants to ring up and lag me to the papers, let him do it."

still do not reek of maturity. Add to this the burnout incident after his overseas escapades,

and I think Brock still has some way to go to reach his destiny, that of captain.

Is everyone forgetting how good Brock was in 06, before his 07 season was ruined by his foot injury?

I hope all these incidents only add to his character and experience so he can prove himself this year, and be awarded the captaincy next year.

Qualities I want in a captain

1. Really Tough; never shirk an issue
2. Genuine footballer
3. In the top 3 players at the club
4. Lead by example on and off the field.

I agree with you in that he has all the on-field credentials to make a solid captain for the next 5+ years. He just has to grow up off the field. I can't see too many other AFL captains getting in blues in the off-season and doing burn-outs at training.

BTW, I like your user name for some reason

Completely agree with DemonDave "But it still boils down to the fact that he’s not ready for it. He still has not

yet played enough consistent football over a sustained period of time for his selection to be justified."

Neitz will fulfill his captaincy this year. If McLeans knee doesn't hold up in 08 , i dont want an injured captain leading the club in 09. He needs to focus on his game and win the fans and crowd over again before he contemplates captaincy. You shouldn't ask for it, you should earn it.

This is very simple despite how much so many would make it convoluted. Bailey has stripped it down to the essential .

You want to be captian son....show me you can act like one !! Its as simple as that. Show me.. Dont talk the talk.. do the walk. Do it this week ..and next...and the ones after.. maybe at end of year ..next season we wil revisit this.

Brock would appear the heir apparent.. bu the still has to PROVE he is.

Its up to him....continue the poor descisions...then no way Jose !!

He has this year.. but then so does anyone else with Captaincy aspirations

McLean is a long way from being Captain

By years end, the 2 favorites for the captaincy will be Colin Sylvia and Nathan Jones

id back jones

08 hasnt even started. Neitz is capt for this one. I for one will sit back and watch what occurs and who does what.

If Brock wants to knuckle down and play footy to his ability and fitness...thats great too.

A lot can happen in a footy season

Captaincy is the last on my list of MFC concerns or interests for the moment.

"It was a stupid thing to do. I thought it was a good idea at the time," McLean said. "In hindsight, it was something I shouldn't have done. Hindsight's a wonderful thing."

This quote from the article tells me that Brock's got pretty severe mental shortcomings at this stage. The sheer fact that he considered doing a burnout to be a GOOD IDEA, quite frankly boggles my mind.

How can defacing the premises at any training venue, let alone one which doesn't even belong to the club ever be considered a good idea? Even if it was the club's own training venue the act was still inexcusable.

I really hope Brock is serious about pulling his head in, because he's certainly in our top 3 most important players on the list. I'm sure that Dean Bailey will help sort him out and I expect that he'll make giant strides forward this year, but geez I'm glad he's not captain...yet.

Some of you are pretty tough judges in my opinion, I mean "mental shortcomings." He is 22, a bit immature at times yes, but so are most of the 22 year olds I know. In fact some of the article makes me think in many ways he is mature beyond his years but can't shake his larrikan streak at times.

By this reasoning Neita should have lost the captaincy years ago, he wasn't perfect in his younger days. So has he been a decent captain? Carey, Voss, both great captains, need I say more.

I like footballers to have some personality, even if that personality is one I don't like. It's called being human, some of you should try it.

Having said that I'm not convinced yet that Chook should be the next captain. Someone needs to put their hand up this season as it must be Neita's last year as captain and probably as a player. The critera in my opinion should be respect of the playing group and leading by example on and off the field. Personality wise, as long as they aren't an axe murderer or peodaphile I couldn't care less

Keep in mind this is someone who has his eye on the job.. he's all but put his hand up for it. Yet with these "lapses' its kind of one step forward.......two steps back. Would it be fair to say most 22 y-olds arent aspiring to lead an AFL team ?

I hope he works through it all and is the best he can be...whatever the result

There's something that makes me worry about this:

Brock has, for probably approaching something lke 2 years now, been seen as Neitz's successor. How easy must he think it is? He's STILL the favourite, I think in his heart he knows he works harder, plays better and leads more vocally than most of his younger team-mates, and the media certainly has him installed as their darling.

So he has the ego to feel he has one hand on the captaincy already... And he still does these things. He's not trying to impress anyone, I think maybe he thinks the job is already done? What kind of club are we that we can't even offer him a bit of competition from within the list for the job? If he gets it next year or the year after, it'll seem like he had it all along... He must feel like it was the easiet thing in the world...