Wednesday, 5 December 2018:

MARC MURPHY of the Blues runs with the ball during the AFL match between the Carlton Blues and the Hawthorn Hawks at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Patrick Cripps says he'll count former Carlton skipper Marc Murphy and retired Brisbane stalwart Jonathan Brown as mentors after ascending to the Blues captaincy, along with fit-again defender Sam Docherty.

Cripps and Docherty were confirmed as heading a streamlined Carlton leadership group in 2019, with support from Murphy, Kade Simpson and Ed Curnow.

Murphy has stepped aside after a tough six years in the helm, skippering the club to just 35 wins.

"Murph's been through probably the hardest time ever at Carlton," Cripps said.

"We're going to lean on him a lot for advice.

"When something does go wrong he's going to be a good guy to get advice from."

Ruckman Matthew Kreuzer, retired defender Alex Silvagni and backman Lachie Plowman have dropped out of the leadership group as coach Brendon Bolton seeks to lift the club after their woeful two-win wooden spoon season.

Cripps said former Lions captain Brown echoed the advice he's had from many since being elected to the Blues leadership role by his peers.

"He was really good for advice," he said.

"He said have a presence. A lot of people I've talked to say 'be authentic ... be yourself and create your own leadership'."

Murphy, 31, flirted with leaving the Blues during the trade period but knocked that on the head to remain a one-club player.

Docherty, 25, said it was a "fair humbling experience" to follow in the footsteps of Carlton leaders like John Nicholls, Chris Judd and Stephen Kernahan.

"To captain Carlton is an unreal experience ... and to do it with Crippa who's one of my great mates at the club."

AAP