Lance Fatnall Carlton Captain

beer-man · Post by **beer-man** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:23 pm

Well I suppose he has a lot of front to leed from!

I don't know what he will be able to show the boys, other than how to get 2 for 1 deals at KFC!

Champion Carlton forward Lance Whitnall has been appointed the club's new captain for 2007 replacing veteran superstar Anthony Koutoufides.

His appointment was confirmed by board member and former playing great Stephen Kernahan at a media conference at MC Labour Park on Wednesday afternoon and the 27-year-old was delighted to accept the top job.

"I'm really excited and really honoured to be the Carlton captain for the year 2007, I'm really looking forward to the season," Whitnall said.

"Obviously I was a little bit disappointed about the incident that happened last week (in Ballarat), but we're over that and moving on to a really exciting season.

"It's been a dream of mine to one day do this, I've grown up, I've been part of the furniture here. I was probably four or five when I first started coming down to the crèche here to get looked after by Stephen Silvagni; he used to come in and have a kick with us. So it's been a great honour for me to be named captain."

Coach Denis Pagan sat beside Whitnall at the announcement and while he said the process of appointing the new captain had been rigorous "it kept coming back to Lance".

"When (I) told him he was going to be captain for this year, my confidence soared and we all believe at Carlton that he's going to make a very good fist of leadership at the … club," Pagan said.

"It's well known in football circles that Lance is probably as good a football brain (as is) going around. He's earned the position … and from a coach's point of view, and all the people on the match committee, we just want to wish him well.

"We hope he can really draw our group together and help lead the football club out of its bleakest period. I've got no doubt that Lance is capable of doing that and certainly will grow with the job."

Pagan said the match committee had considered the option of appointing co-captains due to the strength of fellow leadership aspirant Nick Stevens' credentials, but decided against the move after taking into account such a thing had never occurred in the history of the club.

"It was such a fine line - it could have quite easily gone another way - but at the end of the day everybody came to the consensus that Lance would be best suited," Pagan said.

"I feel for Nick - I'm sure he's very disappointed - but being such a good mate of Lance I'm sure he'll bounce back. The way he trained this morning really encouraged us."

Whitnall won't be short of support with 10 Carlton players - including Heath Scotland and Bryce Gibbs - appointed to the leadership group. Pagan said that it had not been the initial intention to have such a large group, but the committee was "blown away" after interviewing the candidates.

Pagan defended the appointments of Scotland, who has made headlines for off-field indiscretions in the past two years, and Gibbs, who is yet to make a senior appearance for the Blues.

"We've got to judge this not on one incident, we've got to judge it on the journey," he said of Scotland's rise to the top echelon.

"I reckon if there's anyone out there who hasn't made a mistake, put your hand up. Everyone's made mistakes and if you don't make mistakes, there's a fair chance you won't make anything in life.

"Bryce has played two senior seasons of SANFL football and he was in the leadership group at Glenelg last year. He's made an enormous impact at the Carlton Football Club … and we just thought it was appropriate after a hell of a lot thought.

"He's quite a unique young man and he's going to really advance this club in terms of his leadership and the stamp he puts on the club in the coming years."

Whitnall has played 201 games for the Blues after making his debut at 17. He was a father-son selection in the 1996 Draft from Northern Under-18s.

jimmyc1985 · Post by **jimmyc1985** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 6:59 pm

Probably the best of a bad bunch to be captain. The only other viable choice was Nick Stevens, but it's probably fair enough to go for the guy who's going to end up being a 300+ game player for your club as opposed to the guy who ended up at the club by fluke 3 years ago.

Royza · Post by **Royza** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:10 pm

10 leaders including Gibbs who hasn't played a match. The rest of the team must feel good about themselves.

ealesy · Post by **ealesy** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:05 pm

Shows how f****** strapped for leaders there pathetic club is.

Lance Whitnall and Heath Scotland in the leadership group after allegedly being involved in a punch on a week or two before, one of them made the captain.

Another guy in the leadership group who has shown he's a mercenary who never even wanted to come to their pathetic club.

You've also probably got a Brendon Fevola involved in that leadership group too who probably would've been the captain if he didn't disgrace himself in Ireland last year.

And finally you've got a highly rated kid who has never played an AFL game in his life, way to not put the kid under pressure you dick spanks!!! Must make the other players on the list who aren't in the leadership group feel real good about themselves!!!!

Getting to be a bigger and bigger basket case is this club.

They should bring back Lawerence Angwin as the club's player's development officer!!

pevfan · Post by **pevfan** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:53 pm

Fine man, fine, fine man. What a beacon to his team mates and supporters alike

andrewb · Post by **andrewb** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:58 pm

I've got one question to ask about this... Who in the football world (outside of Carlton) ever said that Whitnall had a good football brain? Whenever I've heard that said I've thought it a backhanded compliment - he certainly doesn't have a good football body.

Fat pr*ck.

Waste of talent.

F111 · Post by **F111** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:30 pm

andrewb wrote:I've got one question to ask about this... Who in the football world (outside of Carlton) ever said that Whitnall had a good football brain? Whenever I've heard that said I've thought it a backhanded compliment - he certainly doesn't have a good football body.

He may not be a svelte athlete, but he has been a match winner, and against us once or twice.
He's smart and dangerous, if given half a chance.

bomberdonnie · Post by **bomberdonnie** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:10 am

F111 wrote:
andrewb wrote:I've got one question to ask about this... Who in the football world (outside of Carlton) ever said that Whitnall had a good football brain? Whenever I've heard that said I've thought it a backhanded compliment - he certainly doesn't have a good football body.
He may not be a svelte athlete, but he has been a match winner, and against us once or twice.
He's smart and dangerous, if given half a chance.

Yes but what other captain has been a match wwinner once or twice??

Lloydy has been on a hundred occasions and Hird before him even more!!

You can go through each teams captain and pretty much find the same thing except maybe the Hawks!!!

He is a fat useless prick (Not unlike myself) that has played a handful of decent games so best of luck to him and the blues...

Filthy · Post by **Filthy** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:12 am

I can see it now!

A goal is kicked.....trainers stream onto the ground to Fatnall with a drink bottle and 2 BigMacs!!!

ealesy · Post by **ealesy** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:20 am

bomberdonnie wrote:
F111 wrote:
andrewb wrote:I've got one question to ask about this... Who in the football world (outside of Carlton) ever said that Whitnall had a good football brain? Whenever I've heard that said I've thought it a backhanded compliment - he certainly doesn't have a good football body.
He may not be a svelte athlete, but he has been a match winner, and against us once or twice.
He's smart and dangerous, if given half a chance.
Yes but what other captain has been a match wwinner once or twice??

Better record than Richie Van de Hack/ imean Van de Berg that pillar of football brilliance that leads the Hawks

bomberdonnie · Post by **bomberdonnie** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:44 am

ealesy wrote:
bomberdonnie wrote:
F111 wrote:
andrewb wrote:I've got one question to ask about this... Who in the football world (outside of Carlton) ever said that Whitnall had a good football brain? Whenever I've heard that said I've thought it a backhanded compliment - he certainly doesn't have a good football body.
He may not be a svelte athlete, but he has been a match winner, and against us once or twice.
He's smart and dangerous, if given half a chance.
Yes but what other captain has been a match wwinner once or twice??

Better record than Richie Van de Hack/ imean Van de Berg that pillar of football brilliance that leads the Hawks

That is correct hense this line further down in my quote

You can go through each teams captain and pretty much find the same thing except maybe the Hawks!!!

ZRS · Post by **ZRS** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:04 pm

ealesy wrote: They should bring back Lawerence Angwin as the club's player's development officer!!

lol, nice one ealesy,

they really are a crap club, the deceision to include gibbs in the "leadership" group is an absolute shocker.

Windy_Hill · Post by **Windy_Hill** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:38 pm

This smart footy brain thing? What the hell does that mean anyway. Do they measure this stat at Draft Camp??

Give me a break

Whitnall has been ekeing out a career based on this Smart Footy Brain tag for years now. Please, someone, tell me what the hell it means

BenDoolan · Post by **BenDoolan** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 12:55 pm

Windy_Hill wrote:This smart footy brain thing? What the hell does that mean anyway. Do they measure this stat at Draft Camp??

Give me a break

Whitnall has been ekeing out a career based on this Smart Footy Brain tag for years now. Please, someone, tell me what the hell it means

Someone who can read the play better than most, knows what to do in pressure situations, and always finds an option. It was something Neale Daniher (amongst others) was blessed with and Sheedy always harped on about it....

Western Red · Post by **Western Red** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:38 pm

Reads the play well because he is always lose in defence!! f*** I can read the play well when I dont have an opponent to worry about and can watch the ball 100%.

jimmyc1985 · Post by **jimmyc1985** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:46 pm

Windy_Hill wrote:This smart footy brain thing? What the hell does that mean anyway. Do they measure this stat at Draft Camp??

Give me a break

Whitnall has been ekeing out a career based on this Smart Footy Brain tag for years now. Please, someone, tell me what the hell it means

To me, 'footy brain' means you can cover you physical defiencies by being brilliant in predicting the play and outsmarting your opponent. The paradigm of a 'footy brain' is none other than James Hird: he's an unremarkable kick, of average speed, and a reasonably strong mark, but he's one of the best players over the last 20 years because his 'footy brain' is better than anyone else's in the league by a country mile.

BenDoolan · Post by **BenDoolan** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:56 pm

jimmyc1985 wrote:
Windy_Hill wrote:This smart footy brain thing? What the hell does that mean anyway. Do they measure this stat at Draft Camp??

Give me a break

Whitnall has been ekeing out a career based on this Smart Footy Brain tag for years now. Please, someone, tell me what the hell it means
To me, 'footy brain' means you can cover you physical defiencies by being brilliant in predicting the play and outsmarting your opponent. The paradigm of a 'footy brain' is none other than James Hird: he's an unremarkable kick, of average speed, and a reasonably strong mark, but he's one of the best players over the last 20 years because his 'footy brain' is better than anyone else's in the league by a country mile.

Yeah, predicting the play is a far better description. They're the players who always make the intercepts, who happens to be in the "right spot" and always seems to be a kick "ahead" of the game.....

DYSON#2 · Post by **DYSON#2** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:53 pm

Filthy wrote:I can see it now!

A goal is kicked.....trainers stream onto the ground to Fatnall with a drink bottle and 2 BigMacs!!!

and inside that drink bottle you would find coke!

ZRS · Post by **ZRS** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:49 pm

DYSON#2 wrote:
Filthy wrote:I can see it now!

A goal is kicked.....trainers stream onto the ground to Fatnall with a drink bottle and 2 BigMacs!!!
and inside that drink bottle you would find coke!

nah, its still february and hot, it will be a slushy.

rama_fan · Post by **rama_fan** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 3:10 pm

I don't mind Lance, as others have said he's a smart footballer who has certainly done some damage to opposition sides.

Better than making Smurf or Herschelle captain like some in the media had suggested.