JACK Trengove has stepped down from the Melbourne captaincy to focus on making "big inroads" as a player.
The youngest VFL/AFL leader in history, Trengove shared the Demons' captaincy with Jack Grimes for two seasons.
Grimes has previously expressed his desire to remain as skipper under new coach Paul Roos, but Trengove has revealed he won't seek reappointment following "continual talks" with Roos.
"The main focus going forward is obviously showing improvement as a team and getting success for the Melbourne Football Club. The best way that I can individually contribute to this is fulfilling my potential as a player," Trengove told melbournefc.com.au.
"At 22 years of age and entering my fifth year in the game, it is important that I start making big inroads.
"The life lessons and experiences that I have seen over the last two years have been invaluable. There is no doubt they will make me a better player long-term."
The midfielder said he would continue to conduct himself in the same manner he had during his captaincy, and would consider future leadership roles.
Roos on the Demons' new midfield
"I won't change the way I go about things at all within the club, but will obviously just not have the title that I have had in the past. The best thing I can do for the club right now is to fulfil my potential and get others to follow suit with me," he said.
"If leadership opportunities present themselves in the future, I will consider them then.
"For now, I am really excited about getting stuck into another big pre-season with Roosy and the other assistants in charge. We are building a great list that I feel will begin to show improvements.
"Roosy has been great so far and has some great ideas about where we are going to improve as a team and individually. I can't wait to work closely and learn from him and the midfield coaches George Stone and Ben Mathews."
Trengove, the No.2 selection in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft, has played 79 games in his four seasons.
He played 20 matches this year after his pre-season was limited with a foot stress fracture.
Roos said he was supportive of Trengove's decision given the difficult two years he had endured as co-captain.
"He'll still do all the things he did as captain and direct and lead, but at 22 he wants to become a genuine, serious AFL player."
Speaking ahead of the club's first pre-season training session on Wednesday, Roos said he hoped Trengove would flourish as a player without the captaincy responsibilities.
"You don't lose your talent overnight. I watched him as a kid and even watching the tapes in the last couple of weeks we want to get the ball in his hand; he's a good decision maker and uses the ball really well. I'm confident he will have a good 2014."
According to Roos, Grimes will be a contender for the captaincy once again: "He probably developed in the role and enjoyed it, so I'm open to Jack continuing as captain."
And dual best and fairest Nathan Jones will also be in the frame.
"I suspect he'll be in the leadership group," Roos said.
"He'd be one who has aspirations to captain and I hope he'll jump out in the process, but that's part of us getting to know the players and them getting to know us."
As was the case from his time with the Sydney Swans, Roos will bring Leading Teams into the club to help set a new leadership direction for the club.
The players will choose the leadership group and from there, recommendations will be made to the management and board about the new captaincy arrangement, with Roos saying he would be comfortable with one, two or even three captains, which he had with the Swans.
A decision is not expected until just before the NAB Challenge in February, but he made clear what he was looking for from Wednesday's start of pre-season training.
"Who's the one who leads vocally in the group? Who sets the standard away from the club and on weekends, sets the example with diets and those sorts of things?" he said.
