CTV> Dane Swan looks forward to a possible leadership position next year2008 Copeland Trophy winner Dane Swan has thrown his hand up to take on a formal leadership role in 2009.
With Collingwood having lost its past two captains (Nathan Buckley and Scott Burns) to retirement in the last two years, the club is again deciding on a new man to lead the promising young group into the future.
Swan, speaking to CTV at the high altitude training camp in Arizona, believes the captaincy race is wide open.
“I don’t think anyone knows who’s going to be the captain (in 2009),” Swan said. “I think it’s a credit to the coaching staff and the players we’ve got here, there are so many leaders at the club that they could choose from, there’s no real clear cut leader at the moment.
“A lot of the boys are putting their hands up to be part of the leadership group, so in terms of leadership I think we’ve got a very healthy group at the moment, and it could be one of five or six players who could captain us.”
While he doesn’t consider himself a serious contender, the 24-year-old has nominated for a position in the leadership group for 2009, which will be decided in the coming weeks.
“I have nominated for the leadership group, so we’ll see how that goes, I may not even make the leadership group... I don’t think I’d be one of the captains.”
Swan is tremendously proud of his achievement of being voted Collingwood’s club champion in 2008, an achievement made even more incredible as he carried a serious wrist injury that required surgery, through the second half of the season.
“I got the cast off just before we came over, so I could come over. It’s coming along alright, I’ve fallen on it a couple of times which has just let me know that it is still a bit sore and I probably shouldn’t rush back as quick as I want to.
“I should be right by mid January when I’ll do full training, but it’s not going to stop me in terms of running.”
Collingwood will return to Melbourne on Wednesday 26 November and resume pre-season training in December.
