Jacob Molkentin and Luke Macauley step us as leaders for the Bathurst Giants

While Bailey Brien, another member of that successful under 14s side from 2015, started the AFL Central West season as the Giants skipper, he injured his shoulder in round two.

That left Giants coach Mark Kennedy in search of a new captain.

He turned to Molkentin and his decision has certainly been rewarded.

"He's doing quite well, he's not only playing that role in the back line for us, but playing that penetration role through the centre to give us more penetration through the corridor," Kennedy said.

"He's doing really well in that role, and yeah he has stepped up since being given the captaincy, he's a lot more talkative around training."

Just as Molkentin has handled the leadership role, so too has Giants' new vice captain Macauley.

Kennedy says the duo are respected by the playing group and just as important, they are proving they will be leadership assets for the Giants in years to come.

"They are really nice people and good team members, they really talk positively around the playing group," the coach said.

"They are good mentors to not only the young kids coming through, but also the older guys really respect them because they're good players, they know what they are talking about and have got football smarts.

"These are the kids that formed the club coming through as juniors, so it's nice to see them progress into leadership roles not only in the teams, but on committees and stuff like that.

"It's really setting us up as a club to make sure we're sustainable. Like old buggers like myself will have to hang up the boots and hang up the board and stop throwing magnets around at some stage, we want to make sure the guys coming through are keen and moving forwards."

This Saturday Molkentin and Macauley will be trying to inspire the Giants to a victory over the Orange Tigers.

The previous meeting between the two sides saw the Giants get the nod in a five-point thriller.

Like the Giants, the Tigers have managed just one win across the five completed rounds and suffered a heavy defeat last Saturday.

But Kennedy knows both his side and the Tigers are more of a threat than their current records suggest.

"I've heard a couple of interviews that the Tiges have done and they're talking themselves up which is good, we want a good contest and I think it's going to be a good contest," he said.

"We'll set up the best team that we can. Ressies have got a bye so that helps us out with playing numbers, so we'll pick the best side and see what happens on the day.

"Playing at home too, hopefully that picks us up, and hopefully the weather warms up a couple of degrees."

Opening bounce in Saturday's match at George Park 1 is at 2.15pm.

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