Richmond is taking a detailed approach to the structure of its 2017 player leadership group, fully recognising the significance of making the right choices, for the team’s overall benefit this season.

“We’re working through it now . . . It’s a pretty important thing to do, and we’re not exactly sure how it’s going to pan out . . . Over the next couple of weeks, we should be able to resolve it,” Richmond’s General Manager of Football, Neil Balme, told the Club’s official podcast, ‘Talking Tigers’.

“Certainly, the players will have a huge say (on who goes into the leadership group).  But it won’t just necessarily be a pure vote on who do you want to be captain, or in the leadership group.  It’ll be who they want to run those parts of the program.

“But, also, it’s very much a club issue.  What does the Club need?  What do the coaches need?  Because, our key for 2017 – what we need to do more than anything else – is be as good as we can be on the field. 

“We should be saying, ‘What do we do with our leadership to make sure we’re influencing on-field more than anything else’?

“It doesn’t mean off-field’s not important, but it might be, right, exactly what do we need now? 

“Obviously the coach and the (assistant) coaches will have a big influence, as will the CEO.  We don’t do it without the CEO and the board ticking it off. 

Balme confirmed that experienced consultant and facilitator Shane McCurry would run the players’ leadership program in 2017.

“The players have really responded very well to him,” Balme said.

“He’s been with the AFL, he was with North Melbourne, he’s worked with the NRL, he’s doing some work with the West Tigers (NRL club), and he worked with Cotton On for quite a while as a facilitator for some of their HR stuff . . . He’s a really decent lad.”