The lingering shadow of Collingwood legend Scott Pendlebury has not deterred Darcy Moore from accepting the position as captain of the AFL’s most well-known membership.
Instead, the Magpies’ new chief sees his unparalleled former skipper’s ongoing presence as an enormous profit as he takes on the high-pressure place.
Pendlebury led Collingwood in a club-record 206 video games earlier than standing down in December, paving the best way for star defender Moore’s appointment.
“Scott is an absolute titan of the club and our game,” the 27-year-old stated.
“To have someone like him now still on the list and still around (and) offer me his support is really significant.
“In that manner I really feel actually supported and I really feel like I’ve a extremely useful and highly effective ally and nice buddy in Scott.”
Moore expects “pure” change for the playing group after nine seasons under Pendlebury’s guidance, but said he has learnt from his predecessor’s understated and effective leadership style.
He intends to find a balance between on and off-field leadership, determined to steer the Magpies to a premiership while acutely aware of a greater responsibility he has inherited.
“On the sphere I’m a trusted teammate and somebody who communicates and takes duty for different individuals, and I’m rather well supported by the opposite senior gamers within the staff in that,” Moore stated.
“We have a extremely nice group now who’re actually able to taking management of this staff and making selections on the fly.
“We’re empowered to do so by Craig (McRae), which is really awesome and refreshing and important.
“Off the sphere it is about accepting the duty of being at Collingwood and being on this position and the essential work that we do in the neighborhood and the affect that it makes.”
Moore becomes Collingwood’s 48th AFL/VFL captain and follows in the footsteps of his father and club great Peter, who skippered the Magpies in 1981-82.
The pair are the second father-and-son pair of captains in club history, after Charlie Pannam Snr (1905) and his son Alby Pannam (1945).
“I’ve been a Collingwood supporter all my life and in some ways this (appointment) is the end result of that journey from fan to creating it on the listing to being named captain,” Moore stated.
“It’s a fairly surreal feeling and it is extraordinary.
“In the context of this group, this team that we’ve got, we showed the competition last year that our best is something special and to be recognised by them as captain is really humbling and feels great.”
Moore will likely be supported by Taylor Adams, Jeremy Howe and Brayden Maynard in a four-man management group.
It will likely be Adams’ eighth season within the group and Howe’s sixth, whereas hard-nut Maynard has been elevated after incomes his first All-Australian nod final 12 months.
The appointments had been ratified by Collingwood’s board on Tuesday evening, following a player-led course of to establish leaders.
“All four players display a strong alignment to the club values as well as attributes that will nurture, mentor and inspire the team,” Magpies soccer boss Graham Wright stated.
Moore completed third within the Magpies’ best-and-fairest award final season as they reached a preliminary ultimate in McRae’s first 12 months as coach.
The defender suffered a bone an infection – often known as osteomyelitis – in his leg final December, which led to a stint in hospital.
But he continues to extend his coaching workloads and stays hopeful of enjoying in pre-season follow matches, which begin later this month.
Meanwhile, versatile tall Darcy Cameron has suffered a recent hamstring setback in a blow to their ruck shares.
The extent of the injury will likely be identified within the coming days.
Cameron has simply over six weeks to get well earlier than the beginning of the season, with the Magpies taking up Geelong in spherical one on March 17.
Mason Cox shapes as Collingwood’s subsequent greatest ruck choice after Brodie Grundy joined Melbourne within the low season.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
