NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott has given his strongest indication yet that the Kangaroos will replace Brent Harvey as captain ahead of the 2012 season.

Speaking in Hobart after arriving for a first-year player training camp, Scott suggested North was likely to follow a similar succession plan to that successfully implemented by the Australian cricket team last year.

North's No. 1 ticketholder Ricky Ponting, 37, handed the Australian captaincy to Michael Clarke, 30, after the Australian's devastating 2009-10 Ashes loss. The Aussie team has rebounded strongly against the Indians this summer, with Ponting and Clarke the leading batsmen.

Scott paid tribute to Ponting's ability to help Clarke adjust to the captaincy and said Harvey, 33, could be an equally effective on-field mentor for North's next captain.

"In any team sport the most important thing is you have a group of leaders not just a single leader and I think the Australian cricket team is really showing that at the moment," Scott said.

"Ricky Ponting has set an unbelievable example for the Australian cricket team. His ability to step aside and groom a young player like Michael Clarke to take over the captaincy is a great example for us all to follow.

"All great organisations have great successions plans and we're working on that ourselves … (Brent's) a unique person in that he's been a great captain but he's a player who I think can really support the next generational leader."

Scott stopped short of saying Harvey would relinquish the post he took over from Adam Simpson in 2009. He also refused to confirm recent speculation midfielder Jack Ziebell, 21 on February 28, was the frontrunner in the event of a leadership change, saying the Kangaroos had "an embarrassment of riches in terms of young leaders".

Two-time best and fairest winner Andrew Swallow, 24, is the other popular tip to succeed Harvey, while we will get a better indication of the other candidates when North announces its 2012 leadership group next week.

North is likely to announce this year's captain in about two weeks.

Meanwhile, Scott said North's football department was not concerned the club's decision to play two ‘home' games a year at Hobart's Blundstone Area from 2012-14 would compromise its ability to make the finals.
 
"I think it certainly won't have a negative effect. I think we're looking to build a fortress down here in Hobart," Scott said.
 
"Hawthorn have done a great job of providing a home-ground feel at Launceston and we really feel that we can provide a real home-ground advantage down here at Hobart.
 
"We're looking for the people of Hobart to embrace us and make it a really uncomfortable place for opposition teams to come."
 
Asked whether making the finals would be the pass mark for North in 2012, Scott was non-committal, continuing the ‘actions not words' mantra at North this pre-season.
 
"(If) you look at our list profile, a lot of them have played their 30-40 games now and they go out feeling like they belong on an AFL ground whereas in the past couple of years they've just been happy to be out there," Scott said.
 
"So we're looking to be a lot more proactive this year rather than just reacting to the situation.
 
"There's no doubt we'll improve. The question is how much the rest of the competition improves as well."
 
Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter at @NickBowen71.