Twelve months later he was appointed Tigers skipper. It was no surprise to Wickham, a director at Stealth Development.
More recently, he saw a No.1 draft pick from another club come out of his shell and show signs that he too might develop into a captain, or at the very least, leadership material.
Whether it be running flat-chat down a 40-metre cliff, taking charge and keeping a cool head or perhaps just possessing that quiet confidence that rubs off on others, Wickham and his team at Stealth are specialists in assessing what it takes not only to work together but also stand up and lead.
That’s why AFL coaches often ask Stealth for feedback after spending time with the team of leadership professionals.
Wickham said the company had worked with several clubs over the past few seasons including Geelong, Richmond and, most recently, Carlton.
Coaches have firm ideas which men are best-equipped to lead their teams but when it comes to locking in leadership choices, outsiders with no pre-conceived ideas can be of great assistance.
“They [coaches] see these players just on the training track and they don’t see them in the perspective that we do,” Wickham explained.
“We come from a different angle and you know they’re in a completely different environment, they don’t have their normal social networks or confidence that they normally would around a club.
“So we get a completely different look at them.”
Stealth takes footballers away from lush green ovals and locker rooms and dumps them in far different surroundings.
“We get them out in a challenging environment, usually out in the bush somewhere,” Wickham said.
“We take away all the home comforts, so there’s no senior football captain anymore; they’re all evenly-ranked from the most junior player to the most senior player.
“Then we give them tasks, in teams, which are both physically and mentally challenging.”
The real aim, Wickham said, was to gauge a player’s “ability to make critical and competent decisions in stressful situations”.
Some fare better than others, but it is the manner and the attitudes with which players attack the tasks that distinguishes whose report card makes for the best reading.
When working with Richmond ahead of the 2008 season, Wickham can distinctly recall Newman and the respect with which he was held by his teammates.
He said the Tigers defender had been rated in the top three leaders by all his peers and showed all the traits of a future captain.
“He displayed an aura of confidence in the most challenging physical situations, leading by example – which I believe is the number one trait a leader requires – but also driving and encouraging other players to perform beyond what they thought were their physical limits,” Wickham said.
“He was not one of the standout performers when it came to conquering the fear of heights but he never baulked at any task.
“I remember he ran face-first down a 40-metre cliff and he backed up for a second attempt even when you could tell it wasn’t quite his cup of tea.
“The players respond and feed off his positive attitude, his drive and his will to succeed.
“He’s a strong communicator and not afraid to tell the playing group when their performance is lacking or improvement is immediately required.”
Carlton fans should also rest easy with the leadership – and its future prospects – in safe hands. Wickham recalls this pre-season, when Stealth went away with the Blues on camp.
While skipper Chris Judd immediately made an impression as being “one of the more intelligent footballers” Wickham had met, others also shone.
Young gun Matthew Kreuzer, the man nicknamed “Humphrey” (after the verbally-challenged Humphrey B Bear) by teammates in his early days at Visy Park, was a surprise packet when it came to his turn to lead the way.
“When placed in a team of 10 senior and junior players and given the role of team leader, I, for one, thought that he may be overwhelmed or stood over by the 100-game plus players,” Wickham said.
“But during a gruelling obstacle course where there were very strict rules placed on players, Matthew displayed impressive command and control traits.
“He showed a positive attitude, some pretty impressive communication skills and made quick and decisive decisions. That rubbed off on the whole of the team.
“As with all of us there are many areas where he could develop and improve his leadership skills but with more education, practical application and mentoring he has great all-round potential for Carlton.”
