How we’ll pick the next Tiger captain
4:54:38 PM Fri 11 February, 2005
Richmond coach Terry Wallace
richmondfc.com.au
When you consider names such as Jack Dyer, Percy Bentley, Roger Dean and Royce Hart, who have led Richmond into the field of battle with such distinction, the job of selecting the next Tiger captain needs to be given very serious consideration.
Wayne Campbell stood down as captain at the end of the 2004 season after four years in the role and his successor will be given the task of helping to turn around the on-field fortunes of the Club.
Every Richmond member and supporter would have their own favorite for the captaincy, but from a Club aspect, the captain will be required to fit the specifications set in place.
With the development of the game, each AFL club now needs their leader to be multi-skilled.
The most important criteria will be their ability to lead the team on match day and provide guidance to what is now a young playing group, to ensure that all players realise their potential. A team captain does this by setting the example, both playing and training-wise, as well as being a good communicator.
Successful clubs are well led, both on and off the field, and you only have to look at the influence that the likes of Michael Voss and James Hird have had on their respective teams, to realise how important a good captain is.
Off the field, the captain’s responsibilities have increased dramatically in recent years. He now must be available to members, supporters, coteries, and corporate sponsors. Also, his public profile drives him to be a solid media performer and confident public speaker.
It is not essential for the captain to be the best performer in the team, but the senior coach must be able to rely on this player to give his best efforts, particularly in a crisis situation.
When our match committee sat down and started discussing the captaincy role, we decided to gain some outside assistance from a company who deals with leadership in both a corporate and sporting sense.
The first task was to determine exactly what we, as a club, wanted from our captain, as there are many forms of leadership. We categorised exactly what was important to us, and four players, who we believed best fitted our leadership criteria, were selected – Joel Bowden, Nathan Brown, Kane Johnson and Matthew Richardson.
The next step was to canvass all areas of the club to get their opinions, as the captain will be the strongest player representative to the other departments at Tigerland.
We then asked the players who they believed should lead them into the 2005 season. No single player’s vote would be a determining factor, instead we will put all parts of the jigsaw puzzle together, until we feel we have the right leader.
Next week, the players will fill in a questionnaire that will allow us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the captaincy candidates from the key leadership areas determined by the match committee.
The final process for me is watching the players first-hand in the heat of battle. I have perceptions from the outside of how resilient each candidate may be, but sometimes there is a huge difference between perception and reality.
It is only fair to allow each player to show their mettle on game-day, before we make our final decision.
The Club’s Family Day is set down for Sunday, March 13, and I believe the timing would be right then for Wayne Campbell to hand over the baton to our new leader on that day. From a media perspective, we may hold a press conference late the week before, so that the captain’s first official function would be speaking to the Tiger fans on Family Day at Punt Road.
I have enormous respect for all four candidates, to select them over and above everyone else at the Club at this stage. The four will be our on-field leaders in some capacity for the ’05 season.
Here’s my brief assessment of their credentials for the captaincy role . . .
* Joel Bowden has a fine understanding of Richmond’s history and tradition through his family background. He has always been a quality player and showed good leadership skills when the team was struggling last season. Joel also has a strong sense of community, and presents himself well with his ability to communicate publicly.
* Nathan Brown has a style of play on the field that can turn a game, which is important as a leader. He has a high public profile, enabling him to spread the Richmond message nationwide. Selected as vice-captain for the All-Australian tour of Ireland late last year, he has been able to develop his leadership skills alongside some of the best players in the land.
* Kane Johnson leads by example and trains the way we want every player to play. He is an honest self-assessor and has a really strong work ethic. Kane comes from a successful premiership background and knows what it takes for a team to win the ultimate prize.
* Matthew Richardson has so many demands placed on him, both on and off the field, which make him a leader in my eyes. Once again, he has a strong sense of Richmond with his family background. Importantly, he gives 100% of himself on game-day and at training. Nobody at the Club does more for supporters and charity.
The following are some of the points in relation to leadership criteria that were presented to the players in more detail:
* Communication skills
* Credibility
* Accountability
* Initiative
* Decisiveness
* Time Management
* Motivation
* Judgment
* Integrity
* Loyalty
* Selflessness
* Dynamics
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