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- FORMER Western Bulldog Rohan Smith has raised eyebrows by announcing Shaun Higgins as a top-five player in the competition.
Higgins, still only 21, has this year emerged as a serious contender to replace Brad Johnson.
The outside world has watched the midfielder blossom as a genuine star, but Higgins has made just as much progress inside the walls of Whitten Oval as an A-grade leader.
Scott West, who passed his No. 7 jumper down to Higgins, yesterday declared: "He's certainly got captain written all over him."
Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade this week said he viewed Higgins as a "future leader" of the club.
That means he will be skipper one day. But that "one day" might arrive sooner rather than later. And it is another reason why the signature of Higgins, out of contract at the end of the season, is so important.
If you were framing a market right now on the captaincy post-Brad Johnson, four players would be on the top line: Daniel Giansiracusa, Robert Murphy, Matthew Boyd and the bolter Higgins.
Daniel Cross and Dale Morris would probably be on the next line.
Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney and his explosive midfield mate Ryan Griffen are not in the mix for senior leadership roles at this stage.
So Higgins, with only 42 games to his name, has leapfrogged several contemporaries to be staring down a place in history.
Gary Dempsey is the youngest Bulldogs captain, making his debut in the role at the age of 22 and four months in 1971. Ted Whitten won the role at the age of 23 in 1957.
Much hinges on the intentions of the evergreen Johnson, who has held the job since 2005.
No final call has been made on Johnson for next year, but he is not looking like a man ready to finish up.
So expect him to play on - particularly given Jason Akermanis is likely to retire and the Dogs would surely prefer to stagger the Johnson/Akermanis departures.
Under that scenario, Johnson would hold on to the captaincy next year.
That is ideal for Higgins, who by the end of next season will be banging the door down if he continues to develop at the same rate.
If Johnson goes unexpectedly at the end of this season, the Dogs would probably go with either of the experienced and respected duo Giansiracusa and Murphy. Boyd would not be far behind.
But asked if age 22 or 23 was too young for Higgins to be handed the responsibility, West said date of birth should not be an issue.
"I don't think you put an age limit on anything," West said. "If Shaun has the respect of the group, and I know he has, it doesn't matter.
"If Johnno goes on next year, he is captain. After that, guys like 'Gia' and 'Murph' are a year older, although they deserve a chance because they have been in the leadership group for a long time.
"Do they go with a captain at, say, 28 or go with a 23-year-old who is going to bring that young group through with him?"
That question may not be answered for another 18 months. But Higgins is well placed to join Dempsey and Whitten in the captaincy pup club.
