Melbourne dual best-and-fairest winner Nathan Jones is a step closer to the AFL club’s captaincy, after Jack Trengove declared he no longer wants the job.
Trengove, 22, became the youngest-ever captain of a VFL/AFL club when appointed, along with Jack Grimes, ahead of the 2012 season.
The young skippers endured a tumultuous two years in charge, with just four wins in 2012 and two this year, amid a host of off-field changes.
New coach Paul Roos says he’s yet to consider how many captains he wants next season, or who they should be.
First, the players will elect a leadership group.
Roos expects 25-year-old midfielder Jones, the Demons’ best and fairest for the past two seasons, to be voted in.
Coaching staff, chief executive Peter Jackson and football operations manager Josh Mahoney will then select one or more captains.
Roos said his initial dealings with Jones, widely regarded as the stand-out candidate, suggested he has the right characteristics.
“If he has aspirations to captain then there’s certainly a process that you’d like to think he’d really jump out of,” Roos said.
“I believe he’s a really good trainer … I’ve had a lot of discussions with Nathan, not about the captaincy but just in general, and he seems a high-quality character.
“We know his performance has been very good in a lean period for the footy club.”
Trengove, picked at No.2 in the 2009 draft, said it was time to concentrate on lifting his own performance.
“Entering my fifth year in the game, it is important that I start making big inroads,” Trengove said.
Roos wouldn’t say whether he thought Trengove captaining for the past two seasons had helped or hindered his development.
“It’s probably best for him now not to be captain and I think he’s made that decision himself,” the new coach said.
“I think it’s really about Jack now becoming a great player.
“Was it good or bad? That’s irrelevant now, to be honest.”
Grimes has indicated his willingness to stay on as skipper, if selected.
“He feels he’s probably developed in the role and enjoyed the role, so I’m certainly open to Jack continuing as captain, but he’ll be part of the process,” Roos said.
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