Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard has expressed his desire to captain the club that drafted him with the 30th pick of the 2014 AFL Draft.
However, there is just one hitch - the 25-year-old still sits outside of the Magpies' four-man leadership group.
While this obvious stumbling block will have been enough to curb the enthusiasm of others, the South Australian-born stopper told AFL Media that it has done nothing to dampen his desire.
"It's always been my dream [to captain Collingwood]," Maynard revealed.
"It'd be quite amazing … [captaincy] is something that I love taking on board and it's not something I would take lightly."
Despite still residing behind the likes of Darcy Moore, Taylor Adams, Jeremy Howe and the club's incumbent skipper, Scott Pendlebury, on the leadership totem, Maynard claims he isn't fazed by his exclusion from the collective.
"Within the four walls is where I really care what's said about me … I know what I give to this football club and Collingwood know what they get from me," he said.
And while confident in his own abilities, the 138-gamer was willing to divulge that he still had some ground to cover before taking on the top job at the Holden Centre.
"I've still got a few years in me where I have to learn a lot more and mature, I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do," Maynard added.
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Still, with the fan favourite affectionately known as 'Bruz' inking an extension last season that will keep him in black and white bars until the end of 2025, time is on the Sandringham Dragons product's side.
In spite of the fact that he has built the beginnings of a legacy down back for the Pies since debuting in 2015, Maynard disclosed that he had eyes on a post further up the ground this season.
Having been brought to the club as a midfielder, the possibility to see more minutes at the coalface under Craig McRae could finally be afforded to him in 2022.
"That was the goal, it's something that I've loved doing, playing in the midfield and I played a lot of midfield throughout the TAC Cup and did quite well there," Maynard said of his shift in position.
"I got drafted as a midfielder … it's taken me a little bit to build up that fitness and be game ready and fitness ready, but I can't wait."
Maynard will be afforded a chance to flex his stoppage-based skills when Collingwood faces the Giants in the AAMI Community Series this coming Sunday.
The Magpies will start their debut season under McRae when they do battle with the Saints at Marvel Stadium on Friday, March 18.
