North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has announced Brent Harvey will step down from the AFL club’s leadership group in 2014.

Harvey, who led the club from 2009-11 and is a five-time Kangaroos best and fairest winner, will instead concentrate on nurturing their next generation of leaders.

Scott said the move would allow captain Andrew Swallow, nine years Harvey’s junior, the opportunity to grow into the role on his own terms.

“Brent will selflessly step out of the leadership group this year and take a really active role in mentoring our emerging leaders and I think that will certainly help Andrew grow as well,” Scott told afl.com.au.

“We were really keen for a new captain to take over while Brent Harvey was still playing.

“Brent is really keen for Andrew to stand up (and) take the captaincy without the figuratively large shadow of Brent Harvey hanging over him.”

Scott was glowing in his assessment of North’s leadership stocks, saying the move could set up continuity of leaders into the next decade.

“We’re in a position where we genuinely feel we’ve got at least 10 guys that would be capable of fulfilling leaderships roles and then we’ve got probably another eight who are emerging leaders,” he said.

North Melbourne’s 2013 leadership group included Swallow, Harvey, vice-captains Drew Petrie and Jack Ziebell, Daniel Wells and Scott Thompson.

Either Petrie or Ziebell will take on the armband for the opening rounds of the 2014 season while Swallow completes his rehabilitation from a ruptured achilles.