There has been a stream of external commentary in recent weeks from fans and critics alike who support the idea of the 23-year-old leading the club.
Port Adelaide legend and premiership captain Warren Tredrea is the highest-profile public supporter of a move to install Dangerfield as captain.
In a newspaper column, Tredrea described the explosive midfielder as "the complete package" and said his leadership was required to "get Adelaide back on track".
Van Berlo, though, said he paid no attention to leadership talk from the outside.
"To be honest it doesn't affect me whatsoever – people are entitled to their opinions and it's been like that for me the whole way through," van Berlo said.
"It's probably made me grow a thicker skin and realise that it's the people around the footy club, my teammates that matter most."
The gap in output between Dangerfield and van Berlo has only encouraged such debate in 2013.
While Dangerfield has been arguably the club's best player in 2013, averaging 24 disposals and more than a goal a game, van Berlo has managed just 17 touches a match.
In the lead-up to the Crows' clash with Geelong, coach Brenton Sanderson endorsed Dangerfield's ability to lift his teammates with examples of courage or skill and lamented his absence against the Cats.
"He's a leader of our team ... he does things in game which really does send a message to the rest of his teammates but also the opposition," Sanderson said.
"Even last year, Geelong beat us at Kardinia Park last year but Dangerfield's two goals in the wet really got us back in the game.
"No one can replace Dangerfield."
While van Berlo's lower numbers can be partly explained by the number of tagging roles he's undertaken this season, he conceded his form hasn't met his own expectations.
"I certainly haven't been playing as well as I would have liked or as consistently as I would have liked but I have been working really hard to play my role for the team," he said.
"Over the last month I've played some run-with roles on some key players on the opposition.
"Sometimes it is hard to totally ignore [external criticism] but I certainly haven't bought in at all.
"What matters to me most ... is the internal expectations on each other."
Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry
