Taylor Adams and Brent Macaffer have been named in Collingwood’s leadership group for the 2016 season.
The up-and-coming midfielder and the 2010 Premiership player will join captain Scott Pendlebury, as well as Steele Sidebottom and Nathan Brown in the five-man team.
2015 leaders Tyson Goldsack and Travis Cloke have been left out of the group, however both are expected to continue to be influential mentors to Collingwood’s young brigade going forward.
The paths leading Adams and Macaffer to the Magpies’ leadership group are vastly different.
Entering just his third season at Collingwood, Adams has quickly risen from a young, nard-nosed onballer to one of the integral members of Nathan Buckley’s midfield.
The 21-year-old played 18 games in 2015, including 38 possessions against Port Adelaide in round 15 and a pair of 36-disposal outings against Greater Western Sydney (round 11) and Geelong (round 22).
“It is really rewarding to have it come from the playing group,” Adams told Glenn McFarlane from the Herald Sun.
“Growing up, I had always been in leadership groups and I was captain of the Geelong Falcons and Vic Country.
“There are still some things I need to work on as far as my leadership goes, but I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can.”
In stark contrast to Adams is the story of Macaffer.
At 26, the forward-turned-midfielder is entering arguably the most unknown season of his career.
He did not play an AFL game in 2015 due to a torn ACL and admits he’s still not sure if he sits in Collingwood’s best 22 this season.
“We have picked up a lot of new guys and a lot of them play a similar position to what I play and watching last year I was thinking, 'Jeez these guys are pretty good, how do I fit in here?'" Macaffer said to The Age’s Michael Gleeson.
"It is pointless wondering am I going to get a game? Am I not going to get a game? So I have tried to work on being as fit as I can and I have not missed a session in the pre-season and that's all I can do.
When it comes to his leadership role, Macaffer will lean on five years of service to the club.
After playing in a Premiership in just his 25th AFL game, he believes he can help guide the Magpies back into the top eight in 2016.
"I will work on being the best leader I can around the boys and I have done that in the summer,” he told Gleeson.
“We should be playing finals footy every year with this list we have got now.”
Leadership group duties will start immediately for Adams and Macaffer on Thursday.
The pair will join their fellow captains in Collingwood heartland as they present five houses to members of Collingwood’s Magpie Nest program.
