Wednesday, 5 December 2018:

MARC MURPHY of the Blues celebrates the win with fans during the AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Carlton Blues at MCG in Melbourne, Australia.

Carlton stalwart Marc Murphy says he never seriously considered leaving the Blues during the AFL's trade window, instead committing to "hang in for a few years yet" to support the AFL strugglers.

Murphy has stepped down from the club's captaincy after six seasons, handing over to the next-gen leadership team of Sam Docherty and Patrick Cripps.

He's retained a role in a slimmed-down leadership group of five for next season, which was voted on by players and coaches this week.

"I spoke to Doc and Crippa ... they were keen to have me and I was keen to stick around," Murphy said on Wednesday.

"At the ripe age of 31 it's the right time to step away.

"They're both really accomplished players and really good leaders of our footy club ... they're at the right age, have played a lot of good football and both want to lead."

Murphy suggested persistent links to new AFL homes at Geelong and Hawthorn had more to do with the nature of modern football rather than his own concrete interest.

"I had to weigh up a lot of things for myself and my family," he said.

"This is where I've played a lot of football and I certainly didn't want to leave.

"(Footy) is a business now but (I have) loyalty to the footy club who have put a lot of faith in me.

"It's a really exciting list ... my role is to really bring those kids along.

"Hopefully I can hang on for a few years yet."

Murphy is joined by Ed Curnow and Kade Simpson - with a combined 699 senior games experience - as members of the leadership group, to support Cripps and Docherty.

Simpson said he was excited to see Docherty become a club leader but more happy for him to return in the back line.

"Hopefully he'll be taking a bit of attention off me. At 34 I don't need blokes scragging me and hanging off me," he said.

"Hopefully they go to him and I can freewheel off half-back again."

Simpson, a veteran of 307 AFL games, said he was yet to be thinking about retirement after being backed in by coach Brendon Bolton.

"I don't want to put a limit on it," he said.

"I'll play as long as the body and the mind hold up.

"Bolts said to me as soon as he walked through the door 'if you're playing good footy and still have something to offer, there will always be a spot'."

AAP