CARLTON will likely delay a decision on its 2016 captain until "a few months" after Christmas, but new coach Brendon Bolton has been pleased by the "really good leadership" qualities of incumbent skipper Marc Murphy. 

Speculation has raged that Murphy could be replaced as Carlton captain next year after Bolton indicated late last month that he was "really open" about who captained the Blues next season, the new coach opting to review the leadership at the club before making a call.

Speaking from Carlton's Gold Coast pre-season camp on Tuesday, Bolton stressed that although a captaincy decision remained some way off, Murphy had impressed him in their short time working together.

"Marc Murphy at the moment is our captain. He's shown really good leadership, as have others to date, which is pleasing," Bolton said.

"We are looking at our leadership in terms of leadership development for all.

"So we're challenging leadership, we're reviewing it and we're also celebrating it when we see leadership. Part of this camp is working out what leadership means to the Carlton footy club, what it's going to look like on the ground and off the ground.

"We'll just continue to develop it, like here at the camp, into next year and we'll make that decision a few months after we get back from Christmas probably."

The Blues revealed on Tuesday that Murphy would undergo minor shoulder surgery before joining his teammates on the Gold Coast.

Murphy has been Carlton captain for the past three years, having succeeded Chris Judd ahead of the 2013 season. 

In that time, he has led Carlton into the 2013 finals series, and finished runner-up in the club's past two best-and-fairest awards.