FORMER Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley could not be happier with the Magpies' decision to appoint veteran onballer Scott Burns as his successor.

Buckley, who said retirement was sitting "very comfortably" with him almost six months since he left the game, was delighted – albeit a little surprised - to hear Burns would lead the club in 2008.

"It's fantastic," Buckley said.

"I didn't think he would accept it because I thought early on in this pre-season he would have preferred it to go to someone who is going to hold on to it for longer and for him to support them from behind.

"I initially discounted him because of that, but I'm so glad that he's been given the opportunity.

"He's been as much a leader in his time at the club as anyone has, and he won't have to change one thing in regards to the way he goes about it.

"He's got the respect of his peers, both within the club and around the competition, and I think he'll be a fantastic role model for everyone at the club."

Buckley also said the club's leadership group is viewed as almost as important as the actual captain in today's football and was pleased to leave the Magpies with solid depth in that department.

"More and more, and what people don't realise, is the captain is a figure-head but as far as their influence on leadership, it's less prevalent than it has been in the past," he said.

"You're more reliant on an even spread of leadership, so although there is an amazing focus on who's going to be captain of the club, the real guts is in the leadership spread beneath him and the support the team gets from their leaders.

"I know that Collingwood have a very deep leadership structure and great support systems, and they were going to be place no matter who they announced as captain."

At Burns's press conference on Thursday, the new skipper enjoyed a slight dig at his former team-mate by stating high-waisted shorts and pulled-up socks would be a notable difference between his and Buckley's leadership styles.

But the Brownlow Medallist couldn't help but fire back a shot.

"You can't change who you are, and he knew that question was coming and he thought that would be the best answer," Buckley said.

"In the 150th year celebrations of the game, it's probably apt that Collingwood goes back to a captain that's got a middle-part and a little bit of an olden-day hair-do.

"It's good for the club."