Voss to captain Lions in AFL - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Voss to captain Lions in AFL

By Dave Donaghy 04/01/2006 07:09:07 PM Comments (0)

Michael Voss will captain the Brisbane Lions for a 10th successive season, but mystery continues to surround the make-up of the rest of the AFL club's leadership group.

Voss said he would continue in the role but remained unsure if Nigel Lappin and Justin Leppitsch would again be vice-captains, after serious injuries derailed the pair's campaign in 2005.

Along with Voss, Luke Power and Simon Black, Lappin and Leppitsch last season formed part of a five-man leadership group hand-picked by coach Leigh Matthews.

Black and Power are certain to retain their roles if Matthews elects to retain his extended leadership group.

Voss hinted that change could be on the horizon with star forward Jonathan Brown, 24, waiting in the wings for a greater role.

"In the next 12 months we're going to need a new group of leaders coming through," he said.

"We've got Justin Leppitsch, Nigel Lappin and myself, as well as Chris Johnson and those sort of guys. We're all edging 30 and the reality is that for the development of the group we need another group coming through that are 24, 25, 26.

"They can lead us into the next era or generation or whatever you want to call it.

"We've been trying to put it into place over the last few years but more so this year."

Voss revealed he was always going to retain the captain's mantle despite dropping a hint midway through last season that it might be time to move on.

The 30-year-old midfielder took that opportunity to anoint Brown as his likely successor but said the decision ultimately fell with Matthews.

"It all got dealt with in the off-season and I'll be captain again this year," he said.

"There's no qualms with that and I was always captain unless otherwise told so.

"We're still in a development stage, there's no doubt about that, and we've got to get the next leadership group through so we can take this team to the next level."

But Voss remained adamant that the Lions would not adopt a co-captain policy while he remained with the club.

"I personally do (think it cheapens the role) and I've stated my opinion on that," he said.

"There's always been that prestige or honour to lead your football club and I guess I've always had in the back of my mind that it does.

"I'm a bit of a historian and a traditionalist and like doing things the traditional way sometimes without thinking too much out of the box."

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