Former Western Bulldogs and Essendon midfielder Adam Cooney hasn’t endorsed Patrick Cripps as the next captain of Carlton, saying 23 years old is too young to take on such a responsibility.
While he acknowledged Cripps is a great footballer and has the qualities of a potential leader, Cooney believes the draining impact of being a captain could take a negative toll on the Blues youngster.
“Being the captain of a footy club is a burden and it should be reserved for a player that’s 27 plus,” he told SEN Afternoons.
“At 23 years old, he might be the best leader at that club, but to be a captain is so time consuming, it is an all encompassing role.
“Just because you’re the best player on the team, doesn’t mean you should be the captain of a footy club.
“He will do the same things that he does on the field, he picks blokes up and carries them on his shoulders. He will still do that, it will make no effect on his game whatsoever if he is the captain or not.
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“What it does do, it takes up a lot of time from your Monday-Friday with meetings, sponsors you have to look after, there are extra functions, you probably do media, you are the face of that club.
“For a kid still learning his craft at 23, I would wait another two or three years at least until I make him captain of the footy club.
“You want to enjoy the game for as long as you can and the more things you have to do during the week, it can become pretty mentally draining and that could affect his performance.”
The 2008 Brownlow Medallist also explained how Ryan Griffen was forced into being the captain of the Bulldogs, which was a role “he didn’t feel comfortable with,” something that had a negative influence on his performance.
Many have pegged Cripps as the next captain of the club, as early as next year. Sam Docherty is also a candidate to take over from Marc Murphy.
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