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THE WESTERN Bulldogs have confirmed that veteran Robert Murphy will captain the club in 2015.
Murphy, 32, will succeed Ryan Griffen, who shocked the football world by requesting a trade to Greater Western Sydney in the recent trade period.
Murphy said he had always counted himself as a leader at the Dogs, but had never properly considered what it would mean to be captain of the club he loved.
"It's (the captaincy) never been a burning ambition for me, but with the last couple of months, with Griff walking away, I almost felt compelled to step forward and I haven't doubted that instinct for a second since," Murphy said on Friday.
"I'm really proud. This has been my football club for half my life – it means everything to me.
"I've played under some great captains in our club's history and to be part of that lineage is something really special."
Newly appointed coach Luke Beveridge says he's put no covenants on Murphy's elevation into the captaincy, dismissing questions that it was a stopgap appointment.
"The qualities inherent in Murph, he'll be the leader who comes to us and says (who) is ready to take the mantle," Beveridge said.
"And if that's next year or in two years or for however long Murphy plays AFL footy, then that's the kind of person he is and that's why he's been voted in by the whole of the football club as our captain."
Beveridge also said there was "some water to go under the bridge" before the club elected its leadership group for 2015.
"We need to make sure we implement the right approach," he said.
"We're going to take [that decision] off the shelf and you're never going to get it 100 per cent right, but we need to get it as close to 100 per cent as we can.
"Murph will play a really important part in that role."
Veteran midfielder Matthew Boyd served as captain for three seasons from 2011, while Griffen took the reins at the start of 2014.
With a young list in tow, Murphy was the "unanimous" choice to lead the Dogs next season, according to Beveridge.
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