In another sign of the Brisbane Lions commitment to reinvigorating its football department, General Manager of Football David Noble has confirmed that all player leadership roles will be reviewed over the preseason.
“Chris (Fagan) wants to have the opportunity to come in and implement his own leadership program.”
When asked about the captaincy of Tom Rockliff, Noble said: “It will be a normal process and course of events that you run through each year (renomination for leadership roles) in regard to what your leadership group looks like, and what your captain looks like. From that side of things, I think that’s what we’ll end up doing, we’ll go down that path.
Reflecting on his experience at Adelaide, Noble recalls: "It wasn’t just about Tex (Walker). I think your captain is certainly your figure head but it’s also all the work that the duck does underneath the water, really, and the support mechanisms that the other guys provide."
“Scott Thompson, Rory Sloane, Richard Douglas, Sam Jacobs, they were all great leaders in their own right behind the scenes - it’s just you do need a figure head in our environment.
“Everyone has to be on the same page. It’s really important that you have your messaging clear, you’ve got some really clear strategies around where your football team is and the direction that it needs to take."