RETIRED Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd believes his successor could easily come from the club's five-man leadership group, with the player-picked collection of Bombers all capable of taking on the responsibility.
This year the players nominated as Lloyd's deputies were Mark McVeigh, Jobe Watson, David Hille, Andrew Welsh and Adam McPhee.
Lloyd, 31, also said he would be on hand to support whoever was thrown the full-time role, after he announced the end of his 15-year career on Wednesday.
"I'm not going to answer that," he said, when asked who he thought should take over the job. "We've got a leadership group this year that I've loved working with, and they've all got strong qualities.
"I think it will come from the playing group voting for who they best feel should captain the club, along with the board and Matthew [Knights] and the coaches.
"Whoever it is, I'm only a phone call away like James Hird was for me, and I'll support them just as much.
"It is a tough role first up, and I used to go to a toilet cubical when I wasn't having a great game and used to think how can I get myself going.
"Whether it's David, Jobe, Andrew, Mark or Adam, the first year is quite tough, but you only get better with time."
Watson, 24, has the most recent experience in the sole role, having captained the club in its elimination final loss to Adelaide and at times throughout the year.
However, Hille, 28, who will return from a knee reconstruction next season, is also familiar with the position having held it for the majority of 2006 after Lloyd suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in round three.
That was Lloyd's first year in the position, having taken over from former club great and Brownlow Medallist Hird.
He said skippering the side had been the "greatest thrill" of his 15-year career, and that he was honoured to be associated with his three predecessors.
"My three captains I'm proud to say in my time were Mark Thompson, a legend of Geelong and Essendon, Gary O'Donnell, a three-time premiership assistant coach at Brisbane and now a great at our club as a player and coach, and James Hird, who is our greatest ever living player," he said.
"I followed in those footsteps."
The retiring forward also claimed the Bombers' emotional round 22 win over Hawthorn - which will be better recalled for Lloyd's illegal bump on Brad Sewell that turned the game - provided a memorable result.
"One of my greatest thrills was to be able to captain my club and our side into the finals series this year," he said.
"I see nothing but a great future for Matthew Knights and the Essendon football club.
"I want nothing more than to see Matty coach the club to winning a final next year, and I'll be one of the happiest blokes being there to see that."
Lloyd said he would continue to pursue media interests in 2010 and would be available to periodically work with the club's emerging players, but would not seek a permanent coaching role at Windy Hill.
Retiring club CEO Peter Jackson said Lloyd would be honoured with a tribute dinner later this year, as well as a farewell lap at the Bombers' first home game of next season.
He also said Etihad Stadium boss Ian Collins was "sympathetic" to the Bombers' pleas to rename one end of the ground to "Lloyd" for the club's future home games.
