MELBOURNE's Jack Grimes has stepped down as Co-Captain of the Club. Grimes informed his teammates of his decision at the Club on Monday afternoon. 

Grimes has captained the Club since 2012 when he was named Co-Captain at the age of 22.

Grimes said "Captaining this Club was something I was and will always be very proud of”.

"This has been a hard decision, which I have spent considerable time thinking about during the off-season. During this period, I have spoken to a number of people I trust and I appreciate the support of the Club in respecting this decision.” 

“There is no doubt my leadership has evolved and developed during my time as Co-Captain. However, clearly on-field is the most important aspect of leadership, and my own on-field performance needs to improve. By removing the co-captaincy role, I believe I can use all my mental and physical energy into improving my on-field performance, which will be the best thing for myself and the team.”

Grimes has indicated his desire to still be involved in the player leadership group. 

The Club’s captaincy and leadership structure will be finalised early in 2015.