West Coast midfield general Matt Priddis believes Chris Masten will finally establish himself as an A-Grade midfielder for the Eagles in 2012.

Masten was the club’s No.3 draft pick in 2007, a selection the Eagles received in exchange for premiership skipper Chris Judd, along with a young Josh Kennedy.

But despite promising much over his first four years at the club, a series of cruel long-term injury blows has meant 22-year-old Masten has never quite established himself in the Eagles’ line-up.

Masten only managed 13 matches for West Coast last year with an average of 14.6 possessions – although in some of these games he was subbed on and off – but Priddis believes his promising late-season form has given the midfielder extra confidence heading into this pre-season.

“I think Chris Masten is leading the way on the training track at the moment,” Priddis said in a video interview on the club’s official site.

“He’s another one, I think, who can really step up this year and use his speed and fitness on the outside.”

“He’s got great skills and I think it’s a year really for him to break out.”

West Coast, though, may need to rely on Masten more than usual during the season’s early stages as they’re ability to break away from stoppages will be limited by the absence of veteran Andrew Embley, who suffered a partial shoulder dislocation last week.

Rapid ball movement in space also appears to be one of the key elements the Eagles have worked on as they look to go further than last year’s preliminary final appearance in 2012.

“There’s a lot of motivation and hunger for us to go on and have finals success,” said Priddis.

“(But) our style of play will be pretty similar with a few small adjustments.”

“I’d really like to add my outside game,” the 108-game veteran added.

“Whether that’s kicking more goals, but also winning a bit more footy in space.”

“So that’s something we’re addressing as a whole playing group … (the) spread from stoppage.”

“We’re pretty lucky to have Dean (Cox) and Nic (Naitanui), who give us first use, we’re pretty strong in that area of our game, so if we can get that spread from stoppage and get fast ball movement into our forwards then we’re going to be a much better team.”

“But I think there’s definitely plenty of room for improvement in this playing group.”

Are Melbourne pressing the panic button already?

Second-year player Jack Trengove, who has 37 games under his belt, and Jack Grimes, who has been injury prone since he turned up four years ago, have been appointed co-captains.

What’s it say to hard-working wayward boys likes Brent Moloney and Nathan Jones, as well as of course long-serving Brad Green?

What’s his future, will he be guaranteed playing seniors all year under new coach Mark Neeld?

It sends a message that the recruiting the last four or five years hasn’t been up to standard and there’s no none with leadership qualities except a 20-year-old kid and 22-year-old who has played only 32 games.

North on the other hand showed faith in Andrew Swallow, the bloke whose last three years have been outstanding, winning best and fairest awards in 2009 and 2011 and finishing third just a vote back in between.

It seems ironic that a few years ago he couldn’t get a game under Dean Laidley, wasn’t even going to play Round 1 2009 until an injury gave him a reprieve, with his football seemingly at the crossroads.

He bounced back in no uncertain terms to be arguably one of their only A-graders now, with perhaps only Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie also in that category.

He’s got footy smarts, he’s tough and while there’s been a knock on his kicking, it has improved.

Melbourne like every other club is out trying to sell their gifted players but making this radical choice of these two youngsters is sending a very mixed message.

Clubs have got to flog their membership at the moment, North have been using Swallow everywhere they can and Collingwood and Melbourne will be out beating their drum.

With this Optus-Telstra case and the ramifications it could have in the next four or five years for the clubs, membership is more important than ever.

Sponsorship dollars are certainly starting to dry up so they need the mums and dads coming through the doors to fill the coffers because in a couple of years free agency is going to come in and clubs will need all the help they can get to take advantage.

The spin doctors spin in February, reality strikes about May.

I just hope Melbourne have made the right choice but I know North have.

Swallow’s proven and he’s tough.

There are also a few queries about injuries at football clubs.

One leading contender for the flag this year is reported to have 10 long-term injuries.

Pre-seasons get harder and harder, the mountains of Arizona call them every year but there’s so many injuries they might need to ease them back a bit.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley feels Darren Jolly’s omission from the Magpies’ leadership group will allow the ruckman to concentrate on ensuring his body gets through the long campaign ahead.

Jolly had played 142 games without missing a match before a knee injury forced him out of the Magpies’ side that took on Richmond in Round 4 last year.

But that first missed game proved an omen of things to come as ongoing issues with his knee and groin saw the 30-year-old miss seven games in a row from Rounds 6 through to 15, restricting him to just 16 matches for the season.

Jolly looked a shadow of his dominant self as Geelong defeated Collingwood in the Grand Final, the pain of that match being clearly apparent on the ruckman’s face almost 24 hours after that match.

As some of his younger team-mates even started cracking a smile or two at the club’s official post-match function day after the match, Jolly’s emotions still looked clearly written all over his face.

Buckley, though, believes that experience will just drive him on.

“The first name that stands out to me is Darren Jolly,” said Buckley on Friday after training when asked who has really stood out at training through the summer so far.

“I think his pre-season’s been excellent … he’s on his toes.”

“He’s probably feeling a little bit of a niggle from last year, his body didn’t stand up for him as it has for the whole of his career and his form suffered as a result, but he’s been exceptional, I thought today was excellent.”

Jolly and Brownlow medallist Dane Swam were omitted from the Magpies’ leadership group for this season as Rhys Shaw, Travis Cloke and Dale Thomas were voted into an expanded seven-man group by their team-mates.

Buckley was adamant, however, that this omission didn’t lessen Jolly or Swan’s standing as leaders at the club, saying he feels it will only help protect Jolly somewhat from the rigours of the season ahead.

“He (Jolly) has been fantastic with the way he’s attacked this pre-season,” Buckley said.

“And, he’s dragging blokes with him from a leadership sense in that regard.”

“He’s got a chance to make sure that he pays attention to what he needs to do from a body perspective and from a game-style perspective and he hasn’t put a foot wrong.”

“Swanny will do what he’s always done and he’ll lead by example,” Buckley added, when asked how Swan had taken being omitted like this, less than six months after winning the Brownlow medal.

“(Swan will lead) primarily with what he does on the field.”

“His form has been of such a high standard and so consistent in recent years and we expect that to continue, but the players believe that the guys they’ve chosen are the ones to take us forward.”

New North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow says he hopes to follow the lead of the man he is replacing in the role, Brent Harvey.

He may no longer be skipper after three years in the top job but Harvey will stay on in a leadership group that also includes vice-captains Drew Petrie and Jack Ziebell and midfielder Daniel Wells.

And while Harvey wasn’t one of the most vocal leaders in the AFL during his time in the role, Swallow said there was plenty he did both leading by example and away from the spotlight that he will be attempting to replicate.

“My leadership will evolve over time,” Swallow said at Arden St on Friday afternoon.

“I’m probably not someone who will be in people’s faces and yelling and screaming but I like to lead by the way I play, similar to the way Boomer (Harvey) prepares and the way he goes about his footy.”

“So (I will be) doing that but also just getting alongside the guys and getting to know them really well and making sure that they’re travelling well so that we can have 25-30-plus players who are really competing strongly for spots, (that way) we’re going to become a really successful side.”

“Working with those guys is probably what I’ll be really looking to do in the next couple of years.”

Swallow said that even though the captaincy wasn’t something he coveted he is ready to embrace the chance to lead the club.

And while he was initially uncomfortable discussing his Christian beliefs he likened the way he carries himself in life with the ‘strong core values’ that coach Brad Scott said underpin the club.

“It (my faith) just gives me a great grounding,” he added.

“I use it to my advantage and it just comes out in who I am and what I do.”

“I think the values I have also reflect the values of the club.”

“It doesn’t change a lot, the way I am here now is the way I am when I go home and live my life.”

“I’ll be able to use those (my beliefs) and hopefully build on them and work with these guys to really help us achieve some success.”

Already eyeing off a return to the finals and the longer-term goal of leading the Kangaroos to their fifth premiership, Swallow was also quick to crack a joke when he was asked a tongue-in-cheek question about the possibility of younger brother David switching from the Gold Coast.

“Yeah we’re close to getting him signed, sealed and delivered,” Swallow joked.

“We’re working on it.”

“He’s still got a couple of years to go at the Gold Coast but we will make room if he wants to come down I’m sure.”