It's hard to assess Mundy's captaincy this year for a few obvious reasons- his injuries, our losses etc. When the captaincy was announced I was surprised but by no means disappointed.
Like many others, I assumed Fyfe would get it. Now before I go any further I love Nat Fyfe, well, in a fan-footballer kind of way. Not many people have the guts to play with a broken leg in a final, and announce they'd die for the Dockers during a Brownlow speech. Those 2 things are very hard to beat from a Docker fan's eyes.
But, and it's a big but, is it possible Nat Fyfe's popularity among team-mates may be suffering due to his media exposure? At times I have heard him referring to himself in the 3rd person ie. Nat Fyfe wants this, Nat Fyfe thinks that, then there was Brand Nat Fyfe with his website etc, and now when he's in the coaches box he has his own notepad to- well who knows what he's doing with it?
My point is, most great captains straddle the divide between players and the coaches. Wayne Carey had the coach's ear but could piss it up with the best of them, Michael Voss was the coach's favourite player but his team-mates would run through brick walls for him. Luke Hodge- much the same as Vossy.
Nat Fyfe would be a great captain, but in my non-expert opinion it makes me wonder whether he is just too "square" for want of a better term. I know this is like killing Bambi, but I only say it because at times when he speaks I cringe a little bit, but I think it's probably more his advisers fault than his own. In other words he sounds so unnatural that it sounds like he's auditioning for a post career media gig 10 years before he'll need it.
I just think if he could be a bit more like the boys ie. Not worrying so much about Brand Fyfe, not accepting every media opportunity that comes his way, he may well have been captain already, and barring injury, one of the best around.
And I reiterate, I love Nat Fyfe.
