Why Brad Green must be Melbourne's next captain

The Demons next club captain is a hugely important decision and one that could be crucial to Melbourne achieving the ultimate success in the future. Melbourne’s young, exciting and emerging team is ready to take the next step, but to do so, they need a strong, inspirational and passionate leader to set the example.

That man is Brad Green.

I think Melbourne want a player who has the ability to do something special in the heat of the battle, a certain aura around him that demands respect, whilst being a leader that automatically allows his teammates to walk taller every time they head down the race.

For all his admirable qualities, this is an area that James McDonald perhaps lacked in.

McDonald has done a wonderful job ‘filling the void’ during the clubs rebuilding phase and yesterday announced his semi-forced retirement effective at seasons end.

While he is extremely gifted and blessed with natural talent, he won’t be remembered for his leadership or superstar quality, but rather as an honest and hard working footballer that got the most out of his potential.

He should be applauded, however, for having the courage to take on the Melbourne captaincy when he did. At the time, the Demons were struggling both on and off the field, and the outlook was grim.

To his credit, he can walk away from the game with his head held high, both for the way he played and his role leading the club through one of its darkest periods.

But right now, he’s not the right fit as the club embarks on a new era.

It must have been a tough call for coach Dean Bailey to push McDonald into retirement, but ultimately I think it was both a brave and rational decision that is in the best interests of Melbourne.

There are obviously all different types of leaders and styles of leadership in football, and I’m sure McDonald was highly valued internally. But in my opinion, the Demons’ next captain must have a bigger presence and authority, on and off the field.

Brad Green has all the attributes and qualities the Demons are looking for in a leader and it would be a major mistake if he were overlooked for the role.

This season his football has stepped up to a whole new level and he will surely earn All-Australian selection as a result.

He can play in any position on the ground, takes strong pack marks, never backs away from a contest, leads from the front and consistently performs acts of bravery on the field that defy courage itself.

At 29 years of age, he has the right mix of experience and time left in the game to be able to lead the side for at least the next three years.

While Aaron Davey, Cameron Bruce, Brent Moloney and even Jack Grimes would be considered for the position, none of the above has the complete package Green has to offer.

Davey is more of a spiritual leader, Bruce is a bit old and too similar to McDonald, Moloney has had a lot of injury problems and Grimes is probably a bit too young to be able to handle the responsibility.

I would make Brent Moloney vice captain and put Aaron Davey, Jack Grimes, Tom Scully and Jack Trengove all in the leadership group to help fast track their development as future leaders.

It would be a huge mistake if Melbourne looked past Brad Green as its next club captain.