Veteran Crow appointed leader of All-Stars
ANDREW McLEOD's commitment to the All-Stars' cause was rewarded yesterday when he was named captain of the team that will take on his AFL club in Darwin on Saturday night.
The 304-game AFL star McLeod will lead a young Indigenous All-Stars side against Adelaide with Port Adelaide's Shaun Burgoyne his deputy.
And when, not if, coach Chris Johnson asks for some inside knowledge on the Crows' strengths and weaknesses ahead of the clash, McLeod is well-placed to provide it.
Johnson, in his first senior role as coach, said McLeod showed strong commitment to the biennial exhibition matches. And for that, the captaincy was his just reward.
"It's fantastic that Andy's made himself available after having post-season surgery; he's been the professional that he is and that just goes to show how much this means to him," Johnson said yesterday.
With eight AFL debutants in the All-Stars' preliminary squad, which will be culled to 30 tomorrow, and a list short on height, Johnson will need to call on all the resources at his disposal for the team to be competitive. And if that means asking his good mate McLeod and several of the Indigenous Crows in the team -- which include Jonathon Griffin, Graham Johncock, Jarrhan Jacky and Jared Petrenko -- for some key tips, then so be it.
"I'll do it discreetly as much as possible, so we'll see how we go," Johnson said.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Last Modified on 01/03/2009 11:56