The impending retirement of David Neitz and his absence for at least the next two months with a serious neck injury has exposed the lack of leadership options at struggling AFL club Melbourne.

Just five days out from Sunday's round six clash against Brisbane at the Gabba and embattled Melbourne coach Dean Bailey revealed on Tuesday the club had yet to decide who would replace the club's longest ever serving captain for the next eight weeks - much less from next season onwards.

"We have got a number of players in the leadership group who could be possibilities but until we discuss that at length with the leadership group and with David's involvement and other coaches as well, we will have to wait and see," Bailey said.

Bailey would not say whether he would prefer one person to fill the role until Neitz, who has announced he will retire at season's end after suffering a serious neck injury against Carlton which could yet sideline him for the rest of the season, returns or whether to rotate the captaincy amongst several candidates.

But a close examination of the Demons' playing list and in particular the rest of its seven man leadership group reveals just what a tough situation Bailey and the winless Demons find themselves in.

The most obvious candidate to become the next Melbourne captain is 22-year-old midfielder Brock McLean but the Demons' most inspiring player - besides Neitz - is currently suspended from the leadership group for a series of off-field demeanours, which even included doing burn-outs in his car at pre-season training highlighting his lack of maturity for the top job.

And as for the others, Adem Yze appears on his last legs as a player and will probably also retire at season's end while Brad Miller, like Yze, is struggling to get a regular senior game.

Forward Russell Robertson will have enough on his plate as he becomes the Demons' main focus in attack without Neitz and at 29 he is hardly a long-term option anyway.

That leaves just the much-maligned Cameron Bruce and the consistent but low-profile James McDonald as candidates and while both could easily fill the role for the rest of the year, at 28 and 31 respectively neither is a long-term candidate for the job that Neitz has held for a record 175 games since 2000.

Bailey, whose Demons are the only team yet to win a game after five rounds this season, admitted on Tuesday that Neitz was irreplaceable.

"The question is who can replace him but I am not sure anyone can replace him because he has a unique gift," he said of Neitz.

"Players of his calibre and where he stands in the game are very unique."

"His record (as Melbourne's longest serving player, longest serving captain and record goalkicker) is unique and you can't replace people like David Neitz."

Bailey said Neitz, who is determined to come back and play some on-field role in the second half of the season, was as enthusiastic as ever about playing even though he has decided that 2008 will be his last year.

"Since I have been here his attitude and desire for the game and love for the game is extraordinary for a player that has had too many pre-seasons to mention."

However Bailey denied the loss of Neitz on top of the club's dreadful start to