Former Carlton champion Robert Walls believes the Blues should run with co-captains in 2019.
Marc Murphy has served as captain since 2013, when Chris Judd relinquished the role, and Walls thinks it’s time for the next generation to take charge.
“I would have co-captains and have Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty in that role,” he told the AFL Nation pre-game show.
“I think you have co-captains for the next couple of years and then I think Cripps is ready to take it on by himself.”
Walls, who captained Carlton for two seasons across 1977 and 1978, believes putting Docherty in the role will help Cripps as a leader.
“It’s been done before and for obvious reasons, Cripps is still young and developing,” he said.
“Cripps leads by example, just head down and hard at the footy.
“Sam Docherty unfortunately has missed all of this year with a knee injury, but he’s more of a thinker.
“He’s a very good player, won Carlton’s best and fairest.”
Many in the media have suggested Murphy should seek a new home next year and chase success, which would force the Blues to make a captaincy change should he make that choice.
Carlton has a long history of co-captains, including Ron Barassi and John Nicholls in 1968, Nicholls and Alex Jesaulenko in 1974, Walls and Jesaulenko in 1978 and Brett Ratten and Andrew McKay in 2003.
What do you think?