SOON after being elevated to Melbourne's leadership team last Friday Colin Garland admitted his position in the group might have raised a few eyebrows.

"Some of the guys that I first started with that aren't here (now) might be a little bit shocked," said Garland.

Garland admits that when he first arrived at the club he was pretty shy. That's an understatement. He was so quiet he made Marcel Marceau seem like Foghorn Leghorn.

However former teammate and fellow Tasmanian Russell Robertson, who had played 190 games when Garland arrived in 2007, says he was far from shocked when he saw the defender's name in the group.

"Colin was as quiet as a church mouse but you didn't mistake that for anything else other than being a little bit humble and knowing his place," he said.

"Everyone is a leader in different ways. He listens, takes it all in, uses what he likes, and what he doesn't like, he discards."

Hamish Ogilvie, who now works in recruiting with Adelaide, coached Garland in Tasmania's junior representative teams.

He said Garland's love of all things football made him an astute judge but his intelligence extended beyond the game.

"He's a very perceptive kid. He's a deep thinker and he's got a good sense of humour. You would think he would add a lot of balance to a leadership group," said Ogilvie.
 
The comparison with former Collingwood defender Simon Prestigiacomo - who Mark Neeld coached at the Magpies - is not unreasonable.

Both were quality forwards as juniors; Garland kicked 10 goals for North Hobart in just his fifth senior game. Neither waste words. Both command respect. Both are leaders.

Interestingly, Garland sees his relative quietness as an asset when it comes to his leadership.

"It's definitely something I have improved on, but it has also helped me because I feel like I am a very good observer, which is something I think you need to do to lead," he said.

It's a perceptive comment from the 23-year-old.

Garland is well past that initial, settling-in stage of his career now. He knows that communicating effectively is part of his job on and off the football field and he is more than comfortable with his approach.

"(Backline coach) Jade Rawlings is all about communication down there. We have four guys from the backline in the leadership group so there should be no excuses," he said.

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