Watch the behind-the-scenes footage of the photo shoot with the club's new leadership group
Heath Shaw and new recruit Darren Jolly are among Collingwood's new seven-man leadership group.
On the day the Pies announced a five-year extension to their existing sponsorship deal with Emirates, club president Eddie McGuire confirmed skipper Nick Maxwell would again lead the team in 2010.
But while Collingwood's main leaders will remain in their roles this season - Maxwell is supported by vice-captain Scott Pendlebury and deputy vice-captain Dane Swan - there are some fresh faces in an extended leadership group.
Former Swan Jolly and Shaw will be joined by defender Harry O'Brien. Ruckman Josh Fraser and 200-gamer Tarkyn Lockyer voluntarily stood down from the leadership group.
Nick Maxwell announces the 2010 Collingwood leadership group
Shaw’s elevation to the leadership group caps a dramatic rise to prominence, not only for the defender but also in the way he is now viewed by his teammates.
Less than two years ago, his future at Collingwood was uncertain after he was suspended for the remainder of the 2008 season following off-field indiscretions.
But Maxwell said Shaw had turned such a corner that he could now be considered a future captain of the club.
“There’s never been any doubt about Heath’s leadership on the field,” Maxwell said from the Emirates Lounge at Tullamarine Airport on Monday.
“He’s only 23, 24 years old now, so it takes time to mature and time to mature into an AFL footballer, so that’s something that he’s worked on, and we’re rapt that he’s in there. He’s done a lot of good things already.
“He’s really taking on young guys now. He’s not just playing his own game - he’s really trying to help the team and develop the young guys.”
Asked whether Shaw had earned back the trust of the club’s hierarchy, McGuire left the media in no doubt.
“Absolutely,” he said.
“One of the great things in life is you stand up and cop your whack, and Heath did that by both losing his licence, being fined by the football club and also being put out of business for a finals campaign - both he and Alan Didak.
“Now that’s long behind them. Both the boys have turned into men as far as their professionalism is concerned, and they’ve been nothing other than fantastic.
“So at the same time, if you punish somebody for mucking up, so too do you reward them for what they need to do and what they’ve been able to do … we’re very proud that he’s been able to make that transition in the 18 months since he transgressed.”
Maxwell said Jolly had won over his new teammates since joining from the Swans, especially with his immediate influence on the team’s pre-Christmas training camp in Arizona. He had brought a new approach and ideas, having already been at two clubs before joining the Pies.
Another new recruit, former St Kilda co-captain Luke Ball, had not been considered for a leadership role because he had not nominated himself, although the captain said he could not speak highly enough of the example the midfielder had set since joining the Pies.
As for Fraser and Lockyer’s exit from the leadership group, Maxwell said it was with an eye to the future that the pair had made their decisions to take a step back.
“If we have those two guys in, with Josh and Tarkyn, [as well as] Shane O’Bree, Jolly and myself, it (the leadership group) starts to get a little bit old,” Maxwell said.
“You really need to start to develop, and that’s something that we have a real focus on.
“To bring in Harry and Heath at 23, 24 years of age is a real help for us, and there’s guys underneath that that we really want to start developing as well.”