A DECISION to appoint co-captains or have Nathan Jones as Melbourne’s sole captain for 2015 has yet to be determined, according to coach Paul Roos.
At the moment Jones is the skipper of the club, after his co-captain partner Jack Grimes recently relinquished his position. Roos said he was “not really sure” which way the club would go at this stage, but he added that it was likely to be determined at the club’s pre-season camp on the Sunshine Coast in January.
“We’ve been doing a lot of stuff with the players on what the expectations are, so we probably haven’t really got any preconceived ideas to be honest,” he told Dee TV.
“I know Nathan did a really good job as captain and he won the best and fairest – and sometimes [with the] captaincy, the player can worry about everyone else, expect themselves.
“But Nathan had a really good balance and will continue to improve. I haven’t got any preconceived ideas, but we’ll get that sorted out at the camp. I’d imagine or have a better idea once we get out of the camp.”
Roos said the structure of the 2015 leadership group was also yet to be confirmed.
“We’ll probably do that at the camp and have an idea on how many numbers,” he said.
“It’s always a fine line not to have it too big or too small.
“It’s more about the guys that want to drive the environment – they’re the ones I want to be the role models and leaders of the footy club. I’m less worried about numbers, but more about [what] their actions are.”
Roos said Jones, who signed a new contract, which will keep him with the club until at least the end of 2019, was a “high quality person” who “drives this footy club and his teammates”.
“To have him commit to the footy club is significant,” he said.
“The fans should be really pleased and it’s great that Nathan’s done that and he sees a real future – we’ve got a long way to go, we know – but to have someone like Nathan leading the charge is extremely important.”