LEADING Hawthorn in the NAB Challenge opener was just a taste of what might be ahead for Liam Shiels, who says the chance to captain the club whetted his appetite for the role.
Shiels took charge of the inexperienced Hawks in Thursday night's 44-point loss to Collingwood at Aurora Stadium and put forward a strong leadership audition.
With a lack of senior players to support him, the tough midfielder collected 23 disposals and delivered four inside 50s to be among Hawthorn's best.
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"It was a great learning experience for me," Shiels told AFL.com.au during Hawthorn's community camp in Tasmania.
"It's a pity we couldn't get the win, but I really enjoyed the experience of captaining the boys.
"It's something that I'd love to do, but I've got a long way to go yet."
Shiels said he expects vice-captains Jordan Lewis or Jarryd Roughead to take the reins when revered dual premiership skipper Luke Hodge steps aside or retires. But as one of five players in Hawthorn's emerging leaders group, the 23-year-old is in the next band staking their claims.
For now, part of Shiels' role is to help bridge the gap between the experienced leadership group and the Hawks' youngest players just making their way.
The dual premiership player has been impressed with the latest batch of draftees and said he was particularly pleased with Teia Miles and Daniel Howe's efforts against the Pies.
"But all of them played their part," said Shiels, who is currently in talks to extend his contract beyond this year.
"There was a number of first-year players who have only been at the club for a couple of months, so the experience for them and their development will be crucial."
The Hawks swung things around on and off the field against the Pies, with assistant coach Brett Ratten rotated into the hot seat in place of Alastair Clarkson and ruckman Ben McEvoy stationed exclusively up forward.
Eight Hawks with no AFL experience took the field, while a further four had fewer than 10 matches under their belts.
One of those was unlucky midfielder Jed Anderson, whose entire AFL campaign was wiped-out by a shoulder injury last year.
The 21-year-old returned with a bang as he racked up 26 touches and kicked a brilliant goal in a sign he is ready to push for a regular midfield spot.
Anderson is one of several youngsters – including Alex Woodward and Jonathan O'Rourke – who are pressing the older brigade, and Shiels predicted the talented on-baller would soon force his way back into the best 22.
"Jed Anderson was one who stood out for me. He hasn't played in a year and he was really eager to get out there and show his stuff and he performed really well last night," Shiels said.
"He's had a great pre-season, and the way he performed last night, he deserves to be in the best 22.
"We've got great depth at the moment and that's good for the improvement of the list. It keeps the senior boys pushing up and always on the edge."
