Rumour Who Should Lead Next?

Who Should Lead Next?

  • McGrath

  • Draper

  • Parish

  • Langford

  • Caldwell

  • Ridley

  • Durham

  • Redman

  • Other


Results are only viewable after voting.

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TheUnicorn

Premiership Player
Nov 1, 2021
3,899
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AFL Club
Essendon
I know there's probably very little to no chance of this trade happening, but since it’s been reported, let’s discuss life after Merrett as a hypothetical. If Zach Merrett were to leave the team—which is unlikely—who do you think should step up as our next captain?
 

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Just asking this hypothetical question is a real eye opener about our list. We really have no-one that is capable of taking the captaincy. Not one single player. Of those few that may even be considered: Caldwell is too young and still developing his game. Ditto Durham. Langford might be somewhat of a leader (by Essendon FC standards) but does not strike me at all as a capable captain. Parish has never displayed leadership qualities.

McGrath seems like the obvious incumbent as VC, but IMO would be an absolutely horrid choice for captain. Is the on-field antithesis of a leader - goes to water under pressure, displays zero edge or passion, does not appear have the capability to drag others with him nor the gravitas needed for others to want to follow him. Whatever issues supporters have had with Heppell as a captain, double that for McGrath. Just no.

I'm gonna say this, if (of course a very big IF) Merrett was to leave, we would have to import a captain from another club. We simply do not have a viable choice.

This is a major issue for us regardless of Merrett's choice to stay or leave - our leadership is absolutely threadbare. Most teams would have AT LEAST 3-4 players that could comfortably and competently step up to captain their club - we have ZERO.
 
Just asking this hypothetical question is a real eye opener about our list. We really have no-one that is capable of taking the captaincy. Not one single player. Of those few that may even be considered: Caldwell is too young and still developing his game. Ditto Durham. Langford might be somewhat of a leader (by Essendon FC standards) but does not strike me at all as a capable captain. Parish has never displayed leadership qualities.

McGrath seems like the obvious incumbent as VC, but IMO would be an absolutely horrid choice for captain. Is the on-field antithesis of a leader - goes to water under pressure, displays zero edge or passion, does not appear have the capability to drag others with him nor the gravitas needed for others to want to follow him. Whatever issues supporters have had with Heppell as a captain, double that for McGrath. Just no.

I'm gonna say this, if (of course a very big IF) Merrett was to leave, we would have to import a captain from another club. We simply do not have a viable choice.

This is a major issue for us regardless of Merrett's choice to stay or leave - our leadership is absolutely threadbare. Most teams would have AT LEAST 3-4 players that could comfortably and competently step up to captain their club - we have ZERO.

I'd say Langford at the moment. If Caldwell and Durham were a little more experienced I could see them in leadership roles. Also Duursma looks like he could have the right qualities.

If we'd managed to get Dunkley from the Bulldogs then he'd be a shoo-in. I wonder now if it would've been worth paying the 2 firsts the Bulldogs wanted? Especially if we could've used one of the future firsts where we had 3 picks.
 
Definitely Andrew McGrath if he still isn't hurting too much
 

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The dearth of leadership in the playing group is pretty stark isn’t it?

We really need to hope that Merrett stays on and we are able to recruit a group of young leaders to be developed underneath him.
 
Just asking this hypothetical question is a real eye opener about our list. We really have no-one that is capable of taking the captaincy. Not one single player. Of those few that may even be considered: Caldwell is too young and still developing his game. Ditto Durham. Langford might be somewhat of a leader (by Essendon FC standards) but does not strike me at all as a capable captain. Parish has never displayed leadership qualities.

McGrath seems like the obvious incumbent as VC, but IMO would be an absolutely horrid choice for captain. Is the on-field antithesis of a leader - goes to water under pressure, displays zero edge or passion, does not appear have the capability to drag others with him nor the gravitas needed for others to want to follow him. Whatever issues supporters have had with Heppell as a captain, double that for McGrath. Just no.

I'm gonna say this, if (of course a very big IF) Merrett was to leave, we would have to import a captain from another club. We simply do not have a viable choice.

This is a major issue for us regardless of Merrett's choice to stay or leave - our leadership is absolutely threadbare. Most teams would have AT LEAST 3-4 players that could comfortably and competently step up to captain their club - we have ZERO.
Ridley & Langford to name two
 

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Rumour Who Should Lead Next?

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