THE playing future of former West Coast captain Ben Cousins remains in serious doubt after the Brisbane Lions announced that they won't select him in either next month's pre-season draft or Saturday's national draft.
After the AFL gave Cousins the go-ahead to play again, the self-confessed drug addict initially looked likely to revive his 238-game career at St Kilda.
On Tuesday night the Saints decoded not to pursue the services of the 2005 Brownlow medallist after a thorough five-month investigation into the merits of recruiting Cousins.
That left Brisbane as the only club that hadn't publicly ruled out picking up the 30-year-old.
But the Lions released a statement less than 24 hours before Saturday's draft which could spell the end of Cousins' career.
SYDNEY veteran Leo Barry has decided to step down as co-captain of the club.
Thhe 31-year-old's decision leaves Brett Kirk and Craig Bolton at the Swans' helm.
Barry, who will retire at the end of the season, said the decision was made in the best interests of the club..
"It has been a huge privilege and honour to be captain of this club for the last three years and to also be a part of the leadership group for the last seven," Barry said.
"I feel my decision creates an opportunity for some of the younger guys to step up and also to increase our leadership base."
"I am focussed on next season, feel I can contribute to the group and on field leadership, and I'm excited about the upcoming year."
Sydney coach Paul Roos said Barry had made an 'invaluable' contribution during his time in the leadership group.
"Leo's leadership qualities are unquestioned and his input as captain and as a part of the leadership group has been invaluable over the last three and seven years respectively," Roos said.
"We know that even though he has stepped down as a captain and out of the leadership group he remains one of our senior players and leaders both on and off the field and will continue to be a great role model for everyone at the football club.
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CARLTON has recorded an operating profit of $1.65 million for 2008.
Despite the profit Blues chief executive Greg Swann admitted there is still plenty of work to be done..
"It is pleasing to announce an operating profit, however like the improvement that the team displayed on the field during 2008, there is still much work to be done" Swan said.
Carlton's first profit since 2003 was partly due to an increase in members with the club recording a record membership of 40,764 for 2008, an increase of over 5000 from 2007.
FORMER West Coast captain Ben Cousins has nominated for this Saturday's national draft.
Cousins, who is also eligible for the December 16 Pre-Season Draft, said he always intended to play football again.
"As part of my ongoing rehabilitation it was my goal to nominate for the 2008 AFL National and Pre-Season Drafts," Cousins said in a statement.
"I wish to clarify that at no stage did I say that I would not play football again following the conditions set down by the AFL commission, while they are onerous they are understandable and achievable."
"I hope to get the opportunity to return to the game that I love. Playing football at the highest level again is an important part of my ongoing rehabilitation and I believe that I can be a valuable contributor at an AFL club."
NORTH MELBOURNE midfelder Brent Harvey will captain the club in 2009.
Harvey replaces Adam Simpson and will become the club's 39th captain.
Utility Drew Petrie will be North's vice-captain while defender Daniel Pratt and tagger Brady Rawlings were named deputy vice-captains.
Meanwhile, Kangaroos chief executive Eugene Arocca announced that X-Blades will be the club's new apparel sponsor for the next three years..
Blades replaces Reebok, which had one year left on its deal with the club.
THE playing future of Ben Cousins remains in serious doubt after St Kilda announced that it won't be drafting the former West Coast captain.
The Saints decided against drafting Cousins after a five-month review that took into account the 30-year-old's previous drug-related misdemeanours as well as the structure of it’s current playing list.
St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said the decision was made in the best long-term interests of the club.
"We owed it to ourselves to undertake a rigorous and thorough review and have now made our decision,” he said.
"This is a decision that we didn't take lightly and we still believe that for the right Club, Ben could well be a great opportunity."
ESSENDON has announced a profit of $755,142 for season 2008.
The Bombers' return for this year factored in more than $200,000 it contributed to its affiliated sporting clubs as well as $300,000 it spent on the upkeep of associated community sporting club facilities.
Essendon's managing director Peter Jackson said the final result was affected by a drop in business and consumer confidence during January-June and the write-down in the value of club investments from the share market - a loss that remains unconfirmed at this stage.
However, Jackson said the Bombers, who recorded a record membership of 41,947 in 2008, were still in a strong financial poisition.
"Our net asset position remains strong at $18.6 million. So we are in a sound position," Jackson said.
"Our year-end cash position is sound at over $2.5 million, including financial assets."
RICHMOND ha announced a profit of has announced a profit of $395,000 for 2008.
The Tigers posted a net profit of $8.01 million but that included significant grants from the Federal and State Governments for the Punt Road redevelopment and the creation of the Australian Institute for Indigenous Learning and Development.
Richmond has now recorded a profit for the past four years - those profits have netted the club more than $10 million.
The Tigers also posted a record a membership in excess of 39,000, which is a four per cent increase on 2007.
The consecutive profits recorded by the club has coincided with a $3 million expenditure increase on the football department, including an additional $1.4 million in 2008.
Despite posting a profit, Richmond chief executive Steven Wright said the club has taken a conservative approach to planning for next year given the current global economic climate.
"Difficult challenges remain for the club, particularly in the areas of sponsorship and corporate income for 2009, but we are currently proactively pursuing all options," Wright said in a statement.
FORMER Western Bulldogs champion Scott West has joined Melbourne in a part-time coaching role.
West, who played 324 games with the Bulldogs will coach the Demons' midfield and spend match day in the coaches' box.
The 34-year-old said he needed to move to a new club in order to broaden his horizons.
"It's a simple game but clubs do it differently," West said.
"To get an experience at another club I think is really going to benefit me down the track."
GEELONG defender Matthew Egan will see another surgeon in a bid to continue his AFL career according to coach Mark Thompson.
Thompson said the club will stand by the injury-plagued 25-year-old as he tries to revive his career which stalled in round 22 last year when he broke a navicular bone in his right foot.
"He hasn't got that much optimism but while he's got a chance he'll take every opportunity he can," Thompson said.
"Why wouldn't you? You don't want to be finished as a footballer at 24. He's doing whatever he can to get out there and we'll support him."
Thompson also said the Cats would not consider recruiting a mature-age player in this month's national draft as a ready-made replacement for Egan should he not recover nor would the club be tempted to recruit former West Coast captain Ben Cousins who was granted permission to resume his AFL career by the AFL Commission on Tuesday.
"We probably haven't got the room in our salary cap and we've probably got a midfield that's OK," he said.
"It doesn't suit our recruiting policy, recruiting 31 year-olds."
COLLINGWOOD has announced a loss of over $3 million for the 2008 season.
The $3,278,859.00 loss has been attributed to the club's decision to record the anticipated loss that will accompany the sale of the Beach Hotel and the Diamond Creek Tavern in this year's figures.
Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert said the hotels will be sold in 2009.
"During the current economic climate the club made the strategic decision to sell the two loss-generating hotels in an effort to be completely debt-free post-sale," he said.
"It is important that the Collingwood supporters understand that the loss from the venues will have zero strategic impact on the Club and has already been absorbed by existing cash reserves."
"The result will not affect the Club's redevelopment plans for the Lexus Centre and its aggressive investment in the football department."
BEN Cousins says he wants to resume his AFL career despite admitting the conditions placed upon his return by the AFL commission are 'very onerous'.
The former West Coast captain will have to agree to and pass three urine tests per week and four hair tests per year if he is to add to his 238 AFL games.
"I am pleased that the AFL Commission yesterday decided to allow me to enter the AFL draft," Cousins said in a statement.
"The conditions imposed on me are very onerous (but) I am looking forward to being drafted and playing football again, which is my love."
Cousins has been given until November 26 to nominate for the November 29 but could wait until the December 16 pre-season draft to nominate.
The 2005 Brownlow medallist also said he was confident that he could cope with the rigours of AFL football.
"I have been undertaking a programme of rehabilitation which will continue," he said.
"I know that I am in a fit and healthy condition and able to undertake the rigours of playing AFL football again and I am very grateful for the ongoing support I have received from the public and especially from those close to me".
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the conditions imposed upon Cousins' return to the game are 'non-negotiable '.
Cousins' manager Ricky Nixon and the AFL Players' Association are furious that Cousins will be tested more than any other player under the AFL's Illicit Drugs Policy even though he has never once tested positive to drugs while there are six unnamed AFL players with currently two strikes against their names for testing positive on non match-days to illicit drugs - who are not subject to the extra conditions being placed upon Cousins.
But Demetriou said on Melbourne radio station 3AW that Cousins had nothing to fear from the extra demands from the league provided he was free of drugs.
"These conditions shouldn't worry him or anyone else if he is on track to play football," he said.
RICHMOND defender Chris Newman has been named as the club's new captain following the decision by the skipper of the past four years in Kane Johnson to step down.
Newman, who won the Tigers' most courageous player award this season just two years after suffering a career-threatening broken leg midway through the 2006 season, becomes Richmond's 39th captain in the club's 100 years in the AFL.
The 26-year-old will wear the No.17 jumper - worn by club legend Jack Dyer - which is always allocated to the Richmond skipper.
Newman is Richmond's youngest captain since Tony Free was appointed at the age of 24 in 1994.
Midfielder Nathan Foley, who shared the vice captaincy with Newman this season is now the Tigers' sole vice-captain while fellow midfielder and this year's best-and-fairest winner Brett Deledio and promising defender Kelvin Moore have been elevated to the leadership group.
Richmond coach Terry Wallace said Newman was the right man for the job.
"We just think that Chris sets the example as how the game should be played, certainly the way we want the game to be played at the Richmond footy club," Wallace said.
"He's hard-nosed, he's got a strong approach, he always puts his head over the football.
"When it's pressure times in games you can always rely on Chris to do the right thing."
Newman said it was a 'massive honour' to be named captain and that anything less than a finals appearance for the club in 2009 would be considered a failure.
"It is such a massive honour and I'm really grateful to the club for putting such trust in me," Newman said.
"You don't want to be making any bold statements this early in the year but I think not playing finals next year would be a step down."
"We just want to continue on with those building blocks we set last season."
THE new Gold Coast team will be able to play in front of its own fans when it enters the AFL in 2011 after the league was able to negotiate its way out of its previous agreement with the Queensland Government that any second team based in the state had to play home games at the Gabba in Brisbane until the end of 2015.
Under the new deal, the Gold Coast team will still have to play its home game against Brisbane at the Gabba until 2015 but will be able to play all its remaining home games at Carrara.
The league has also guaranteed the Gabba the right to stage the Easter Thursday night match until 2020 while the Lions will also be given the opportunity to play an extra game
in Brisbane each year until 2020 by convincing another club to sell a home game to them.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou admitted it was clear 'the Gold Coast community has thrown its support behind GC17' but said the league still wants more details before formally granting the license.
"This is a generational decision for Australian football and the AFL commission is committed to making prudent financial decisions based on a complete and proper process and a clear understanding of the current economic situation," he said.
GC17 chairman John Witheriff said he was confident that his consortium will soon be granted the license to become the competition's 17th team.
"The Gold Coast community have demonstrated to the AFL that we want our own AFL team and that the Gold Coast Football Club has the foundations for success," he said.
"We understand the AFL still has some work to do before making a final decision on the license and we remain extremely confident of a positive outcome for the Gold Coast."
FORMER West Coast captain and recovering drug addict Ben Cousins has been given the all-clear to resume his football career by the AFL.
THE 2005 Brownlow medallist, who has been suspended for the past 12 months for bringing the game into disrepute following his much-publicised slide into drug addiction, is now free to be picked up by any club in either this month's national draft or next month's pre-season draft.
St Kilda remains the hot favourite to pick up the 30-year-old witn Brisbane reportedly the only other club seriously considering giving Cousins a second chance.
Cousins' return is subject to a series of strict conditions, announced by AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou on Tuesday.
Cousins will only be allowed to add to his distinguished 238 game career if:
*he goes to a club that has an appropriate drug and alcohol management program in place, which must be approved by the AFL Medical Officers' Association.
*be subject to three urine tests per week and four hair tests a year to see if he is drug free.
*co-operate fully with all AFL drug testers and not seek to delay, refuse or fail to provide samples.
*must attend any drug program as ordered to by the AFL.
*and should he post any positive drugs test, he will be stood down by the AFL pending the outcome of any investigation.
Demetriou said Cousins is making a 'real effort' to get his life back on track and that the league's medical advice was that Cousins' rehabilitation would be aided by allowing him to resume his career.
"Ben Cousins is making a real effort to be rehabilitated," Demetriou said..
"The medical advice we received says it would be helpful to him to be playing football again (but) in these situations there is nothing that is absolutely certain."
"All the medical evidence that was presented was that he is making a real effort to rehabilitate himself and get back to playing football and on that basis we wish him well."
"We have acted on the best medical advice and if he can play the rest of his career without any relapse that would be a great result."
BEN Cousins will not play at the West Coast Eagles again according to club chief executive Trevor Nisbett.
Cousins was delisted by the Eagles at the end of the 2007 season but there has been constant speculation that the 2005 Brownlow medallist would rejoin his former club if he is given the all-clear by the AFL commission next week.
Former Eagles chairman Murray McHenry has written letters to the who wrote letters to the AFL, Nisbett, Cousins and others at West Coast expressing his wish for Cousins to play with West Coast in 2009 but Nisbett said there is no chance that the the 30-year-old will wear a West Coast jumper again.
"We rate Murray very highly. He's a former chairman and friend of ours, but the board has made its decision and the club is standing firm on the decision regarding Ben," Nisbett said.
"The door is shut and we made that decision 12 months ago. While there's a lot of emotion regarding the decision, we are steadfast in it and I have reiterated it to all our members. As much as the emotion swells from time to time, the decision has been made in the best interests of the club. The decision will stand."
While the Eagles have shut the door on a Cousins return, Nisbett said the club hoped he got another start to his AFL career.
"There are a lot of people who are indebted to Ben and what he's done to our football club. He will always be a champion of this club and all we have been concerned about is his ability to get fit and well. If he wants to play football we are fully supportive of that but it won't be at the West Coast Eagles," he said.
"We have made that decision based on all the information available and we have moved on. Hopefully we see him play football again but there's a lot of water to go under the bridge yet. The AFL still has to make a decision and the next step would be to see which clubs would and would not be interested."
"We wish him well and want to support him in everything he does, and are hopeful he gets a positive reaction from the commission in the coming days."
MELBOURNE has finalised its list ahead of this month's national draft by axing veteran defender Nathan Carroll.
Carroll played 71 games for the Demons over the past six seasons but he fell out of favour with the club following a series of off-field incidents - the latest being an altercation with teammate Ben Holland during the club's 'Mad Monday' celebrations this season.
The 28-year-old, who was still contracted to the club for next year, has reached a settlement regarding a pay-out figure for the remainder of his contract with Melbourne and that figure will be included in the club's salary cap next year.
The axing of Carroll means the Demons will now have seven picks in the upcoming national draft.
THE career of Geelong key defender Matthew Egan is in serious doubt with the key defender's foot injury showing no signs of healing.
Egan, who missed a place in the Cats' drought-breaking premiership team in 2007, visited his specialist in Sydney earlier this week.
The 2007 All-Australian centre-half back's foot has not fully healed and he has limited movement in the area despite several operations.
Geelong football operations manager Neil Balme said on Wednesday that there are 'very serious doubts' that Egan will be able to play AFL football again.
"While this is not absolutely the end of the road, there are very serious doubts that Matthew will be able to recover to a level that would allow him to resume his career," Balme said.
"Along with Matthew we will continue to explore all of the options available to him. As we learn more we will continue to keep the many Geelong supporters that have followed Matthew's journey up to date."
HAWTHORN has capped off a memorable year by announcing on Wednesday that it made the greatest ever operating profit by an AFL club by posting a $4.054 million return for the 2008 season.
The Hawks, who claimed their 10th premiership against Geelong in September, now boast $13.6 million in assets.
In 2008 Hawthorn had 41,686 signed up members (a 34 per cent increase on 2007), merchandise sales increased 131 per cent on last year and its total attendance broke through the one-million mark for the first time.
The figures ensure a healthy start to the Hawks' ambitious 'five2fifty' business plan announced at last year's annual general meeting which hoped to win two premierships, ensure annual profits of over $2 million and attract 50,000 members by 2012.
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said these factors allowed the club to increase investment in the football department which was seen as a key reason behind the club’s on-field success this season.
"Last year we spent about 14.6 million (dollars) on football-related matters ... which is about 36 percent of our total ($40 million) turnover," Kennett said.
"That represents, if you take 2007, 2008 and what we're providing for in 2009, on average an uplift in the football department each year of approximately $2 million and that is quite a substantial uplift."
But Kennett admitted the club is close to its capacity in terms of football department employees.
"You can't keep growing it," Kennett said.
"It was only three or four years ago we were at the other end of the premiership ladder at the end of the home-and-away season."
"We finished this one on top. The difference is the support we're able to put into the playing group and to the coaches (in 2008) ... it's going to be hard simply to continually finance that increase."
Despite posting a record profit, Kennett said the club was far from 'bullet-proof' given the current global economic situation.
"I don't think you can ever be bullet-proof, with all the contracts you've got in place and certain circumstances (that may arise) if certain organisations fall over," he assessed.
"I think next year, for sport generally, it's going to be a challenging year and probably the year after."
"Obviously we want to be profitable (next year) but I'm not going to suggest to you what that profit line may be ... this is a year of no waste, (if) we're going to spend a dollar we've got to really ask ourselves 'is it justified?'"
Kennett also said he was insure whether the current economic situatuon will adversely affect the club's plan of signing up 50,000 members by 2012.
"We've just opened up our membership sales (on) the 1st of November for this year and they're going exceedingly well, we're very pleased with the reaction that we're getting," said Kennett.
"I think our target for this year is 47,500 with a stretch of 50,000 ... we're now going into our second year of that ('five2fifty' plan) so whether we get it this year I don't know but certainly the economy generally is going to impact on a lot of people, it's going to be a very testing year."
RICHMOND will have a new captain next season after Kane Johnson announced he will be stepping down from the role effective immediately.
The two-time Adelaide premiership player said he felt the time was right to step down.
"It has been an enormous privilege to serve as captain over the past four years but the time has come to hand over to someone else," Johnson said.
"We are a young and emerging side and the timing is right for generational change. I still see myself with a role to play in terms of mentoring the younger players and I look forward to helping out the new captain, whoever that may be."
Richmond coach Terry Wallace paid tribute to Johnson, who took over from Wayne Campbell at the beginning of the 2005 season.
"Kane took over the captaincy at a difficult time and helped develop our young team," Wallace said.
"Kane has an extraordinary presence both on and off the field and will continue to be a highly respected player at our club. His work ethic is second to none and his positive influence over the playing group will remain," Wallace added.
THE new Gold Coast team has strengthened its off-field team with the appointment of former Brisbane Lions premiership players Marcus Ashcroft and Shaun Hart as assistant coaches to Guy McKenna.
The Gold Coast club will play in Victoria's TAC Cup under 18 competition before joining the VFL in 2010 ahead of its debut season in the AFL in 2011.
Hart played 273 games for Brisbane and was a key member of the 2001, 2002 and 2003 premiership teams while Ashcroft played 318 games for the Lions and was also a member of those three premiership sides as well as being the Lions' games' record holder.
THE future of North Melbourne is far from secure despite the club announcing its first ever $1 million plus proft on Monday, according to chief executive Eugene Arocca.
Since rejecting a proposal from the league to move permanently to the Gold Coast at the end of last season the club's membership has jumped rom 22,000 to 34,000 resulting in the Kangaroos' profit increasing by more than $800,000 in 2008 to a club record $1,088,941.
As a result the club has been able to reduce its debt of $4.2 million down to $3.2 million.
But Arocca said the club would soon be making losses again unless they received a better stadium deal at its home ground at Telstra Dome.
"We have got a long way to go," he said.
"If we don't stay above 30,000 (members) on a regular basis and run a tight business model, we would be making losses."
"The elephant in the room for us is stadium deals."
"One of the key figures this year is we generated about $1.7 million in match returns this year of which $1.2 million were from our Gold Coast games."
Arocca said the Kangaroos, who will play all of its 11 home games in Melbourne next season, were forced to pay out of their own pocket to Melbourne Stadiums Limited (MSL) which controls Telstra Dome if it failed to attract 30,000 to home games even though the ground's capacity is 53,000.
Even when the Roos fill the ground they only make a profit of about $180,000 while Geelong makes about $500,000 in profit for every home game even though its ground holds less than 30,000.
Arocca said it was up to the AFL to talk to the MSL to ensure a better deal for tenant clubs at the ground.
"Our job apart from working with the AFL (to fix the issue) is to promote the issue about the (inequitable) stadium deals and I would like to think by 2010 we would have something in place but if you were a real optimist you would say 2009 would be achievable."
AFL media manager Patrick Keane admitted there was a need to improve stadium deals for clubs but could not say when clubs would see a greater financial return from home games at grounds such at Telstra Dome.
"The AFL told the club presidents at their last meeting mid-year that we heard their concerns on stadium returns," he said.
"We undertook that we would talk to venues about the returns for clubs and those discussions have been initiated and are continuing."
HAWTHORN midfielder Shane Crawford has announced his retirement from AFL football.
Crawford, who just weeks ago agreed to terms with the Hawks for next season, said a period of soul-searching after the grand final win had resulted in a change of heart.
"The recent break and distance away from the game has enabled me to re-think what I wanted to achieve in footy - and the answer is that I have achieved what I had hoped, when I set out," he said.
"Winning a premiership with Hawthorn has been the highlight of my career. I am proud to have represented one club and will look back at everything we have achieved over my 17 years at the Hawks with fond memories."
"Having some time to reflect; standing on the podium on Grand Final day as premiers had always been my ultimate goal. It is a great way to go out of the game – on a high, with a premiership medal, at a time of my choosing."
"The Club have been fantastic through this time and I can’t thank them enough for their support in letting me come to my own decision."
Crawford finishes a stellar 305-game career with a premiership, a Brownlow medal and four Club Champion awards.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said Crawford had given his all to the club over the course of his 17-year career.
"Crawf has been an outstanding role model to so many in the game, " he said.
"He was still one of the best trainers and he can stand tall knowing that he gave every last drop for the Hawthorn Football Club. He has wrung the towel dry and he can walk away proud, having played his part."
NORTH MELBOURNE will have a new captain next season after Adam Simpson decided to step down as skipper after five years.
Simpson was appointed captain on the eve of the 2004 season, taking over the role when Anthony Stevens himself relinquished the position.
The 32-year-old said he felt the time was right for him to give up the captaincy.
"I think it's time to pass it on, I've been doing it for five years now and I always said I'd like to pass it on going into what could be my last year of footy," Simpson said.
"I also want to help the new skipper, whoever it is, get through his first couple of years and take it from there."
"We've got a couple of leaders who I reckon might be ready, so I thought why wait and instead of making a tough decision perhaps mid-year, we could start fresh now."
"I also think that if you're captain in your last year and it doesn't go well it could create a bit of a void for the next captain and I just look at Neitz last year … when he did decide to retire it just looked like it was a bit of a struggle … (so) we wouldn't want that to happen."
North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley paid tribute to Simpson's leadership and his ability to play consistent football.
"For me he's been a wonderful support," Laidley said.
"He hasn't missed many games of footy."
"The biggest thing for me is he's helped educate people underneath him. And hence the candidates he's spoken about (Harvey, Drew Petrie, Brady Rawlings and Daniel Pratt), you'd probably assume (the new captain) will come from one of those guys."
"And to be able to select someone of four people, shows he's done a pretty good job over the journey and also been able to play some really good footy, been very consistent."
"I take my hat off to him to be able to do that and then also put the club in front of himself in his last year because it does get tough when you get to that age and you do need to prepare."
PORT ADELAIDE is searching for a new skipper after premiership captain Warren Tredrea decided to relinquish the captaincy on Tuesday morning.
Tredrea, who held the premiership cup aloft in 2004, said the decision to stand down as captain was made in the best interests of the club.
"I step away from the captaincy and a full time leadership role to allow the club to maximise the depth of leadership within the group as we get ready for a massive 2009," he said.
"The reality for me is that as I approach 30 I will need to devote more time than ever to my personal preparation, recovery and performance."
"This decision will allow me to do that and in turn hopefully help me get the best out of myself and provide maximum contribution for the team."
"I'm excited by the future of this squad so I want to make sure I am around long enough to share in some success."
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams said Tredrea had been an 'outstanding' leader.
"People forget he had to step into the breach when Matty Primus went down. At a time when people were questioning our ability to get across the line his leadership was instrumental in us ultimately winning that flag," Williams said.
"Not too many people realise the commitment required of an AFL Captain and the service he's given this football club over many years as a leader has been outstanding."
A decision on the captaincy is expected prior to Christmas.