While Collingwood recently chose to part ways with Leading Teams, the Lions have opted to head in the other direction as they strive to improve their culture following significant recent change in their football department.

The changes included Fagan replacing sacked coach Justin Leppitsch, and the acquisition of highly-rated former Adelaide football department head David Noble as new football manager.

Fagan, who was appointed Lions coach two months ago, witnessed Leading Teams in action first-hand for much of the past decade as the Hawks' football department chief.

Former Carlton and Richmond player Simon Fletcher will run the Leading Teams program at the Lions.

Set up in 1992, Leading Teams has been employed by a host of AFL clubs over the past two decades, although there are divergent views in football circles about its program merits.

The company's hallmarks are robust peer assessment, feedback and empowerment, and while Fletcher's role with the club will be multifaceted, assisting in the process of choosing the captain will be among his tasks. He was already working at the club last week, along with Leading Teams founder Ray McLean.

Fagan said he was excited about the development. "We have an emerging group of players and we are looking for continuous improvement across everything we do as a football club," he said.

"We want to develop winning habits and winning behaviours, and working with Leading Teams will help us with that process. We're excited for the possibilities ahead and looking forward to working with Simon and Ray again."

Fagan has said that a vote of players prior to next year's pre-season series will determine the on-field leadership for his first season at the helm. While Fagan said incumbent skipper Tom Rockliff would not definitely be replaced, it's understood he is unlikely to keep the leadership.

The midfielder has been criticised for his confrontational style and was shopped around by the Lions in this year's trade period before ultimately committing to see out the final year of his contract at the club in 2017.

Reigning best and fairest Dayne Zorko and midfield star Dayne Beams are viewed internally as the likely candidates for the captaincy, with Beams said to have become a leader around the club despite being restricted to just two games this season.

Reformed former Carlton bad-boy Mitch Robinson is another who is viewed as a serious contender for a position in the club's leadership group, while tall backman Harris Andrews could surge into a leadership role despite still being just 19. The Queenslander has been touted inside the club as a future captain.

Meanwhile, the Lions have been working to expedite the arrival of former Crows player Andrew Crowell – who will head the club's welfare and wellbeing program next year while Craig Lambert serves his suspension for his involvement in the hiding from drug-testers of Greater Western Sydney midfielder Lachie Whitfield while Lambert was working for the Giants last year.

Crowell was appointed last week, having been working at the AFL Players' Association as a player development and engagement manager.

Lambert's wife, Melissa, who moved from Sydney with her husband last year to take up the role running the club's welfare department, continues to work at the Lions, although her role has been made more difficult given that she cannot invite players to her home anymore because her banned husband cannot have any contact with them. The Lamberts were poached from GWS to help the Lions solve their problems with player retention.