Mark Bolton appointed captain of Blacks

17 December 2009

The club is pleased to announce that Mark Bolton has accepted the captaincy for 2010. After 10 years as an AFL player with Essendon, Mark has been a  tremendous contributor on and off the field in his two seasons with the Blacks. President Justin Gray commented "We are thrilled that Mark is so enthused about being at the Blacks that, even after such a successful career at Essendon, he is willing to take on this leadership role. His team-mates, particularly the younger ones, will benefit even more from his example on and off the field".

When coach Marc Woolnough made the announcement to the playing group at the first official training run on the Main Oval last week, Bolton started by acknowledging the quality of past captains Luke van Kempen and Matt Kempton, both of whom had their captaincies hindered by persistent injuries. He added " I thought my footballing highlights were all behind me when it ended at Essendon, but the past two seasons have been both a re-vitalization and a revelation. I had no idea that as a club the Blacks had so much to offer - top standard football, quality coaches and playing conditions, and an amazingly diverse and talented group of players and a network of past players all interested in helping each other and the club to succeed. It is a fantastic club, and I am humbled to be asked to captain it". He added that he was influenced by the resolve of the senior players to make 2010 a year of achievement on the field, atoning for the near miss of 2009.