No not those Blues, but the much maligned Carlton Football Club has gone from the ridiculous to the farcical naming a leadership group of 11 players for their 2007 campaign.
The potentially great, the misbehaved and the would-be departed all feature in the super-sized leadership group at AFL club Carlton.
While there had been much speculation that Lance Whitnall would take over as captain, having 10 other players in the group was a surprise.
It includes star recruit Bryce Gibbs, who is yet to make his AFL debut. Fellow No.1 draft pick Marc Murphy is also in the group ahead of his second senior season.
Whitnall, Heath Scotland and Brendan Fevola were also forgiven for their much-publicised off-field misbehaviour in the last few months.
Bret Thornton wanted to leave the club at the end of last season, but he now talks of being a Blues player for life and also features.
Coach Denis Pagan told Whitnall this morning he would take over as captain, narrowly beating friend Nick Stevens for the job.
"It's a real cross-section about where we're at, at Carlton - our mature players, our middle-tier players and our young players,'' Pagan said of the 11 leaders.
"Our leadership is a program in progress - we want to develop as many leaders as we possibly can.''
Whitnall takes over as captain from Anthony Koutoufides, who opted out of a leadership role this year along with Matthew Lappin.
A vice-captain since 2004, Whitnall did not help his chances earlier this month when he stayed out late in Ballarat.
The club fined Scotland, Whitnall and several other players for enjoying too much of the nightlife, while Scotland was under police investigation after an incident outside a pub.
Police have closed their investigation, with no charges laid.
Fevola was kicked off last year's international rule tour of Ireland after an off-field incident, while Thornton tried to move to Hawthorn before agreeing to a three-year deal with the Blues.
All that is now in the past for Whitnall, whose father Graeme also played for the club.
"Obviously I'm a little bit disappointed about the incident that happened last week, but (we're) over that and moving on to a really exciting season,'' Whitnall said.
"I was just really glad (to gain the captaincy), it's been a dream of mine ... I've been part of the furniture here.
"I was probably four or five when I first started coming down here in the creche, I used to get looked after by Stephen Silvagni, he used to come in and have a kick with us.''
Pagan said the club invited players to apply for leadership roles and was impressed with the standard.
"It really blew us away a bit, because our intentions at the start weren't to have a group that big,'' he said.
Pagan pointed out that Gibbs had had a leadership role last year with SANFL side Glenelg.
"He was really concerned about what people would say, 'you've been at the club five minutes', but he's quite a unique young man and he's going to really advance this club in terms of his leadership and the stamp he puts on (it) in the coming years,'' Pagan said.
The coach also volunteered that Stevens was "very, very stiff'' not to be named captain.
"It was such a fine line, it could have quite easily gone another way,'' Pagan said.
By Roger Vaughan (AAP - Fox Sports)
Last Modified on 01/04/2007 20:13