Simpson was appointed North Melbourne skipper in 2004. At the end of the 2008 season, Simpson relinquished the role which was subsequently handed to Brent Harvey.
The midfielder believes the shift of emphasis will force him to become more focussed on his on-field form.
“It takes a bit to get used to. It might be a bit hard to get a game this year, normally the skipper gets a game no matter what,” Simpson said.
“I feel like I’m fighting for my spot a little bit more now, which is a good thing. We’ve got no injuries and we’ve got some real good youth coming through. It might be tough at certain stages this year.”
Simpson, 33, is the oldest player at North Melbourne and the third oldest in the League, but is in no hurry to finish his career.
“Looking at some of the players who have played through the midfield over the pre-season, you can see some guys have really developed in the last four or five weeks ... bit but I won’t make it that easy for them,” he said.
The 2009 premiership season will be Simpson’s 16th on North Melbourne’s list. However, he is adamant his enthusiasm is not on the wane.
“It’s pretty exciting. Pre-season’s gone forever this year. When you get knocked out in the first round of the NAB Cup it feels like forever, especially with the rest weekend this week. The boys are really keen,” he said.
Simpson said he was happy to see former teammate Wayne Carey be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame this weekend and said he would love to have his former skipper back at the club in some role.
“It probably opens the door for Wayne to come back. He has the blessing of all the people around the club, helping him with his recovery and the club moving forward,” he said.
“I think we need people like Wayne behind us and in our camp to help promote the club and make sure we secure our future.”
