Bitter-sweet anoints Sugar http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/02/26/1109180163414.htmlCaptaincy quest looks clear-cutTerry Wallace's intriguing search for Richmond's new captain has been unveiled publicly as a four-man competition that can be split into two groups. One group comprises a pair of lifelong and career Tigers whose fathers played in premiership teams and, in the other group, are new chums Kane Johnson and Nathan Brown.
That neither of the first two, Matthew Richardson and Joel Bowden, have any hope of winning the job should not be considered an insult. The very fact that both aspire to lead the club on-field should provide some encouragement to Richmond fans who have watched both young men display flashes of brilliance and even lengthy periods of consistency over the years, but, realistically, never leadership skills.
That they are the sole contenders from the group that has served at the club for any period longer than two seasons is clearly a savage indictment of the poor state of affairs at Tigerland and one clear explanation for the club's poor performances over the past decade or two.
So the choice comes down to Brown and Johnson. The new coach, while clearly holding the last card as the announcement of the new skipper draws closer, will also be able to quite honestly say that the choice was made following an unprecedented and rigorous amount of research.
Not only did Wallace bring in external consultants to analyse the contenders and force the club to focus on its priorities, he also canvassed pretty much everyone within the club, including the senior list, to unearth the best man for the job.
The word from inside is that the players, who were given little notice before voting, were largely united in their choice. Wallace has refused to discuss the results of any questionnaire, but my guess is that Johnson easily would have won the players' poll.
The worst you could say about Johnson is that he is a relatively introverted public performer and a solid, reliable player who will never win a match off his own boot. Brown can be a matchwinner and a media darling, but it is Johnson who deserves to get the job and not simply because his tenure at Tigerland is double that of the former Bulldog, who arrived only after season 2003.
The football department, when asked to rank the team's leadership requirements, placed discipline, responsibility and communication significantly ahead of such terms as "visionary" and "big picture".
Wallace's predecessors would have given Johnson the job without any such external guidance.
Brown is a star, a risk-taker and reportedly has impressed his old Bulldog coach with his growing maturity, but surely discipline and responsibility sit more comfortably with Johnson, who has slipped happily, if quietly, into his new role at the struggling club. Brown has a quirkiness that has helped make him a great player at times and which appeals to his fans, but is quirky what is required for the most exciting group of young recruits the club has had in decades?
Johnson, the former Crow who turns 27 in two weeks, is the only AFL premiership player on the list - he played in both the 1997 and '98 sides - and has finished second in his first two club championships at Richmond.
If his quiet demeanour is a concern in a group that has not exactly set the competition alight with its on-field personality, then Johnson has proved a relatively responsible performer in a team seemingly incapable of reaching a collective on-field decision last season. He also is said to have become more talkative among his peers and, let's face it, with Wallace as coach, it's obvious who'll be handling communication with the outside world.
Wallace has not shied away from promoting his new side - quite the opposite. Until Richmond narrowly lost its Wizard Cup match against Collingwood, it was being afforded publicity worthy of an AFL grand finalist. Selling hope alongside membership and sponsorship is a significant part of Wallace's job description and he already has performed it with the expected aplomb.
The greatest hope of all is that among the teenage contingent at Richmond exist two or three clear captains and not simply players who have become famous as draft picks Nos. 1 and 2. Brown, as a member of the leadership group whatever the captaincy result, will show them brilliance and how to exert it. Johnson will teach them on-field responsibility, accountability and how to make even their poor performances better than mediocre.
Both choices have their appeal but, considering the club's history and where it now sits, the latter would appear to be the priority.
