Fans Give Burns Decision Their Chorus Of Approval
The Sunday Age
Sunday March 9, 2008
IF COLLINGWOOD'S family day had been held last week, the biggest cheer undoubtedly would have been reserved for shaggy-haired crowd favourite Dale Thomas. Yesterday, it was for newly crowned captain Scott Burns.
Burns replaced long-serving captain Nathan Buckley on Thursday and yesterday at Gosch's Paddock, it seemed to be a popular decision.Nick Maxwell, who had been a contender for the captaincy but has now been made deputy-vice captain, yesterday backed the club's decision."Definitely among the players and the people at Collingwood, he was the right choice," Maxwell said after the family day. "There probably wasn't another choice to make at all. He is the one who ticks all the boxes and he has got more respect than anyone in the competition in terms of our club."While some have suggested the 33-year-old received the job as a stopgap role to allow younger players to mature, president Eddie McGuire yesterday told the several hundred assembled that the club picked the veteran because he was the right man for the job.Maxwell agrees and said he would not be using Burns' likely short tenure to prove himself in order to stake a claim for the job when the decision next needs to be made. He said he would welcome the opportunity to captain the club, but his focus for the coming season was performing well and leading the team."It's not really a focus for me. If it came, it would be good, but at the moment, I'm just keen to play footy and get going. Personally, I just want to keep improving and hopefully help lead the back line and help lead the club in the direction we want to go."Collingwood had its first pre-season win on Friday against the Hawks and while Maxwell was pleased with the 18-point victory, he said the result was not the focus. "We have been trying to set up our structures and get everything right, so it's just a matter of improving as a team and not really looking at the scoreboard. Every week, we have been improving . . . and then (Friday) night, we managed to get it pretty close to what we want."Backman Simon Prestigiacomo still has a foot injury that kept him out of the side for much of last year. Maxwell said the Magpies have the depth to cover him but admitted things could get shaky should they have any more injuries in defence."If we lost someone else, then we might fall into a bit of a hole but hopefully, we can get Presti back pretty soon," Maxwell said.Collingwood's first-round match is against Fremantle at the MCG on March 22.
© 2008 The Sunday Age
