As I said below, Hooker should be captain until one of Smith or McGrath takes over. Goddard should never have had the captaincy taken off him at the end of 2016 IMO. The suspended players should’ve had a year to get back into the swing of playing again without the pressure of captaincy. Goddard presumed Jobe would step back into the role (he was captain before the CAS decision came down) but I know for certain he didn’t think the club would appoint a new captain.
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Heppell has done a few captainy things too.
I don’t think either are/were very good captains.
I got flamed for saying after 2017 Heppell shouldn’t be captain. Darli called me a disgrace.
I thought he went alright last year.
But he is not the answer.
Nobody on our list 26+ is because they aren’t winners.
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Thats the problem. He’s a captain out of circumstance. I’d make Bags a captain if he wasn’t such a dumb player. Maybe in two years Heppell could be captain material but right now he’s too casual and has other priorities
Why does a captain have to be a club for a certain amount of time or be an experienced veteran?
our experienced veterans have been part of a ■■■■ club for their entire careers.
give it to smith.
Smith by a country mile. Has a genuine crack.
I agree. But would be ok with Zerret or Pidge as well. We haven’t to tainted them…yet
He can’t be captain after another diabolical season coming up. So he has to play out his career as a failed captain or move clubs.
He doesn’t strike as the kinda guy that would want to hang around after failing as a captain.
I’m a massive fan of Smith and would love to see him in an official leadership role at the club.
But just so we’re clear, do people on here honestly think that the club should strip Heppell of the captaincy and give it to Smith at round 2 of the season? And that doing that will help solve our leadership issues and have no negative consequences on the team?
If/when Smith is acknowledged in a formal leadership role, it’ll be at the end of the season at the earliest (as it should be).
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Nobody said that.
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Geez guys. He’s no Vandenberg.
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Well this thread is being flooded with posters wanting him removed as captain with a strong sense of urgency, so it’s worth raising the question.
It’s more everybody thinks he is done as a leader. You’re just going to have to watch the slow death of his leadership over the remainder of the season.
How itd work is a co captain thing one year followed by handing of the baton. To save face.
More Nathan Van Berlo I’d say.
Fair enough. Again, I’m a big fan of Smith and I never agreed with the decision to remove Hooker/Hurley from the leadership group to begin with.
im not sold on Smith as a leader.
It should never have been taken from Goddard until 2018 when it was handed to Hooker.
Hepp could - maybe - have been ready after Hooker.
Everyone has the right to be utterly and bitterly disappointed with what Essendon is serving up right now - but there are more pressing issues across the club than Dyson Heppell and his leadership. This is a bloke who had a year excised from his career in shameful circumstances and has emerged from that ■■■■■-ful situation somehow still with an urge to serve the club when he could have respectfully fukd right off with Hibberd and Melksham to Melbourne. I actually agree that he is not the natural born ‘come with me’ leader we probably need right at this time - but he is a young Captain who does not appear to my eye to have thrown in the towel (which is more than I can say for a few other players - and supporters). A few should be pretty unhappy with their work in this thread once the dust settles.
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You will never get Heppell’s best form playing outside the contest - He’s a ball hunting inside mid.
Nope. Theyre the members and supporters who keep the club solvent. They have every right to question his leadership at this point considering how poor he and his player group has been. The saga is behind us now, so its time to move forward and win games of footy