St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt has backed suggestions that 20-year-old North Melbourne defender Harry Sheezel should be appointed the club's captain from next year.
Playing in just his second season after he was taken by the Kangaroos with pick No.3 in the 2022 national draft, Sheezel has taken the competition by storm with his versatility and game-changing spark.
In his debut year, Sheezel received the 2023 Rising Star award for the best young player in the league and claimed North Melbourne's Syd Barker Medal for Best and Fairest.
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During a segment of LiSTNR's Footy Talk podcast called Real Talk/Shit Talk, Riewoldt encouraged the Kangaroos to consider Sheezel as a long-term captain of the club.
Riewoldt stated that if Sheezel's off-field contribution likened to that of his on-field performance, he could see no issue with the talented youngster being sworn in.
"I'm gonna say 'real talk' with a caveat. And that's, you know, how does he model the behaviours [needed of a leader] behind closed doors?," Riewoldt asked.
"There's a lot more to it than just making your best player captain — they've got to be a leader in the way they command the group, they've got to be a leader in the way they prepare Monday to Friday.
"Assuming he ticks those boxes, then I don't have a problem with making a 20-year-old captain.
"You could lighten the load for him a little bit early with perhaps a Nick Larkey if he's in the same boat, but yeah, absolutely. Put him in there, give him the reins."
Riewoldt first became captain of the Saints at 21 years of age in 2005 for a brief period, before he returned to the role in 2007 alongside Lenny Hayes and Luke Ball.
He would then go on to serve as St Kilda's stand-alone skipper from 2008 to 2016.
Drawing on his own experience, Riewoldt argued that age should not be a barrier to young players acting in leadership positions.
"There are a lot of senior players around to provide support … and you don't become the solo beacon of leadership — it doesn't work like that — you're still part of a group or a weight of numbers that are leading week after week," he said.
"I think it would be a good change, provided Sheezel ticks those other boxes."
Sheezel was voted into the club's leadership group ahead of the 2024 season and is contracted to the Kangaroos until the end of 2030.
Current captain Luke McDonald headlines a list of senior players at Arden Street who have underperformed this year as North Melbourne remains winless after seven rounds.
McDonald is in danger of being dropped for the Kangaroos' next match against the Saints on Saturday as they look to save their season.
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