How important is the choice of captain...........

In a week that has seen Ciaran Mc Keever appointed Armagh captain and Paul Griffin appointed Dublin captain - how much importance do you place on your county's choice of captain?

Does the right captain improve your chances of success or is it irrelevant who the captain is and has no bearing on your county's season at all?

I think Mc Keever is the perfect choice for Armagh though i can't say i know too much about Griffin's credentials as a captian.

I am interested to hear people's views on this and also on the methods some counties use to select their captain.

Having a captain is essential. You need some to have someone that can lead, take responsibility and above all motivate those around him.

McKeever has shown this, he lead the Armagh U-21's to their first All Ireland and captain of pretty much the same team.

Very important, the best player in the team isn't necessarily the best captain. A few years ago Paddy Bradley was Derry Captian not a powerful choice prob the best player but not really a leader. Two of the best Derry captains in recent years were Seam Marty, and Fergal Doc this year whose captaincy more or less picked itself.

I think the correct choice of captain is essential for any team that aspires to be successful. It's a vital role and on the big days when the chips are down, you need someone who will stand up and inspire the team to victory.

We've a new captain ourselves this year for example, and I'm delighted with the choice. Vinny Corey is a natural leader and will excel in his captaincy role. He's got all the attributes needed, a strong voice in the dressing room, a great motivator, and leads by example on the pitch. He's completely dedicated to football too, and is involved with many different teams. I'm glad he was picked as he's got much experience of being captain. He's captained Clontibret to championships at all levels, and captained the county u-21s aswell. Bit surprised that Damien Freeman had the captaincy took off him, certainly didn't think he'd lose it under Banty, but maybe it's a sign he'll play less this year and it's a fresh start. Damien still has alot to offer though as proved in the league and was a fantastic captain too.

A captain is vital to a team, a man that motivates his/her players and builds up their determination before and after a match. A captain is there to lead his/her players, but in saying that, each player must act as leaders themselves and do their best for their team!!

I think that Trevor Mortimer should be captain for Mayo this year in the Championship. He has admirable leadership qualities, and is one of the most determined players in the gaa-the amount of injuries he got, and he still worked through them, cycling for dozens if miles every night to get fit again. He's only 29, so he isnt too old or too young. However, even though he didnt play his best in Mayo's NFL campaign, the best player shouldnt necessarily be the Captain. I hope he gets the captaincy, no doubting he deserves it!!

I see Kerry are going to have Bryan Sheehan as the captain for next year - interesting to see how O' Connor is going to accommodate him on the team like O' Sullivan last year.

I would actually be embarrassed if I was Sheehan - i mean he is hardly guaranteed a place on the team under Jack O, and to be picked as captain must feel a little hollow.

bocerty wrote:I see Kerry are going to have Bryan Sheehan as the captain for next year - interesting to see how O' Connor is going to accommodate him on the team like O' Sullivan last year.

I would actually be embarrassed if I was Sheehan - i mean he is hardly guaranteed a place on the team under Jack O, and to be picked as captain must feel a little hollow.

I disagree with everyone above Boc. Captains in GAA, and soccer, have absolutely nothing to do with team performance etc. The only sports that captains matter are rugby and possibly cricket. Look at Kerry, who were their main leaders last year? Murphy, T O Se, Mike McCarthy, Darragh, Galvin and Donaghy (for the little time he was on). The old heads who have the experience and have won the loyalty and respect out of the other lads in the changing rooms from their performances for Kerry, not through some divisional team picking who the captain is. Our captain last year, Darran O' Sullivan, what effect had he on the team do you reckon? None I'd say. But ye still won I hear you say. Jesus I'd say if I was captain we'd still win. The choice of captain has little relevance.

Interesting to see Galvin playing some of the best stuff he's ever played and he not captain, but when he was captain last year what happened? He decided to play Snap with the ref.

As for Sheahan, Jack doesn't have to include him and both of them know that. You only get on any of Jack's team through merit, not through favouritism or club/divisional team bias. Otherwise Sheahan being a fellow South Kerry man would have been playing last year.

As for the system of picking captains in Kerry, it's tradition as everyone knows. And because the captaincy has no relevance on a team's performance then it's a tradition I think should stay.

Think Sheehan was captain of Kerry minors a few years ago so he has some experience. I think the counties that have the rule where the captain has to be from the county champions should consider getting rid of it as you end up with non-playing captains.

But clash what relevance has a captain in GAA? Absolutely none (unless you are the Kerry captain and have to make a speech most years). Do you think Darran O' Sullivan was the man giving the speeches in the dressing room? Was he the player the lads followed out on the field? Not a hope.

Captains should be done away with completely. Unless the GAA bring in a rule whereby only captains can speak to the ref, like in rugby. A rule that is long overdue in my opinion.

Depends on the county really your Kerry's Kilkenny's (whom both ave won AI with there captains as subs) or your longford's sligo's Tipp's no problem in putting Wexford there as well who need a focal point to galvanise a team to drive it on.

Captains have different roles the more successful a team the less of an influence in reality as there are other to pick up the flack and drive them on in these teams the manager is more important to get the max from the players eg Tyrone Kerry Kilkenny to a lesser extent but proved Cork.

Where the whole thing comes crashing down is with you nearly there but still of the mark teams most notably Mayo football, Galway Hurling these teams both need strong captains/leaders on the field to give them the belief that they can cross that finishing line that they can be number one but the also need strong management as well and in a lot of cases they either get one or the other none but never both.

As one of the most famous captains said "what fcuking iceberg!" come to think of it he didn't see it coming either

I wouldn't have thought Brian O'Driscoll was the best choice of captain for Ireland a few years back but he has certainly grown into the role. He is a much better communicator and certainly fulfils one role which is vital for a captain - to not ask his team mates to do anything he wouldn't do himself.

don't agree with you there JC not that I have a vast knowledge of the oval ball but he is the most high profile Irish player I have ever heard of.
He is a global brand and what better way than to put a ref under the spotlight than have him/her deal with the biggest name.

JimWexford wrote:don't agree with you there JC not that I have a vast knowledge of the oval ball but he is the most high profile Irish player I have ever heard of.
He is a global brand and what better way than to put a ref under the spotlight than have him/her deal with the biggest name.

Aye Jim but I am getting at when he was made captain in 2003 - he only got his first cap in 1999. He was high profile then but you had players who seemed to be better 'talkers' (O'Connell for one). I feel the first couple of years he led by example but as he became more used to the role and blossomed into the world class player he is now he became a better communicator and as for leading by example - well he's simply the best you could get in that context.

I'm not sure that the actual title of "Captain" is that important anymore, other than for the coin toss and lifting the trophy.
What is important is that there are one or two strong characters who assume the leadership role both in training and on the pitch; having a (c) in the programme beside their name isn't important, it's whether they act like a "captain" or not. Some players might grow into such a leadership role if given the title, and this is where choice of captain can be important, but of much more importance is having the natural leaders who will act as captains, regardless of who bears the title.

Jim makes a good point about it being progressively less important for more successful teams, but I think this is more a function of successful teams having many leaders around the field, all of whom act as leaders within the squad.
Lesser counties tend to only have one or two strong leaders and they will usually end up with the captaincy role, resulting in the main "leader" being the captain. In these cases the role of captain is important, but purely because of the player bearing the title, not the title itself.

I'm trying to think of great captains(not leaders) of the past and I'm struggling to think of any.

clash-of-da-ash wrote:I'm trying to think of great captains(not leaders) of the past and I'm struggling to think of any.

Conor Hayes, a leader, a captain and a legend

Declan Darcy...a fookin legendary captain. Ability, nerve, ruthlesness, manners, leadership qualities, brains and eloquence....

Boxtyeater wrote:

Declan Darcy...a fookin legendary captain. Ability, nerve, ruthlesness, manners, leadership qualities, brains and eloquence....

Was at some league match with a gang including this lads sister in Donnycarney at the latter end of the previous decade and young Declan had a 20 odd metre kick from the sideline,against a strong wind to make the game all square at the death. The local ruffians right behind him were all hard at their usual 'Alite Decko' schite and he took a step back and took a look around when all of a sudden and completely out of nowhere came the immortal cry 'C'MON DECLAN,DO IT FOR CONNACHT!!' Up popped the mighty man with perhaps the greatest lineball kick in history to make it a draw game, and to be add his own contribution to becoming yet another compelling force in the catalogue of reasons why Galway had not, until this year just gone, beaten Dublin in countless generations of competitive football.
Needless to say there was little or nothing said between me and the players in question sister for a long time afterwards. Not until they banged out 'streets of New York' in the Plough at any rate later on that evening. Some pub that was, the plough, for after the matches, believe you me!