Shackles a born leader for the Colts

PEEL Thunder’s Colts side has appointed tough midfielder Sam Shackles as captain for the 2015 season following a training camp earlier this month.

Shackles was named as part of a six-man leadership group including Jordan Adams, Mitch Curnow and Luke Shepherd as vice-captains, while youngsters Michael Humble and Jack Tomerini will be deputy vice-captains.

Peel Player Development Manager John Deitz said Shackles’ leadership over the pre-season stood out from the rest of the group.

Shackles played a lot of football for Scotch College in the PSA competition prior to a brief stint in Melbourne at the start of last year for university commitments, and he impressed with his versatility.

“He started playing in defence, went through the midfield and he was runner-up to Luke Shepherd in our best and fairest last year. He’s a strong body, wins a lot of contested ball and he will lead by example,” Deitz said.

Humble and Tomerini are bottom-aged Colts players, meaning they have two full seasons left in the Colts system, and Deitz hoped it would pave the way for strong leadership in the Colts for the next couple of years.

“Both those guys tick all the boxes in terms of leadership, and already you see the other boys look up to them, which is great,” he said.

The Colts will gear up for the new season with a hit out against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval on March 7.