The Queensland and Australian Test trio have been the cornerstone of a wildly successful team south of the border for more than a decade and the subject of their eventual retirements has been likened to those of a handful of giants of the Australian cricket team earlier this century.

Cronk, 33, is playing his final game for the Storm in Sunday's grand final against North Queensland before relocating to Sydney and while Slater is likely to play on in 2018 and Smith is contracted for at least another year, Storm officials know they will not be around forever.

It is why coach Craig Bellamy and football director Frank Ponissi three years ago contacted a newly retired Maxwell to help develop a plan for life beyond the big three.

What emerged was a program driven by the 34-year-old AFL grand final winner that has identified the Storm squad's next generation of leaders.

"Cooper, Billy and Cameron, they're so dominant because they're such big personalities and great leaders," Maxwell said on Monday. "It's just constantly making sure that the next wave is coming through."

Smith, Cronk and Slater are joined in the leadership group by centre Will Chambers, front-rower Jesse Bromwich and lock Dale Finucane. But it is at the level below those players that Melbourne are planning even further ahead.

Bromwich, Chambers and Finucane are products of the Storm's emerging leaders group which is now comprised of five-eighth Cameron Munster, forwards Jordan McLean, Tohu Harris, Tim Glasby and Kenny Bromwich, utility Slade Griffin and three-quarter Young Tonumaipea.

Several of those players are leaving the club after the grand final but they will be replaced, as others have been in the past, with the Storm intent on having as smooth as possible a transition when their three champions have all hung up the boots.

It will be almost impossible to replace the on-field talents of Smith, Slater and Cronk. Bellamy would also leave a huge hole if he departed, too, although Melbourne are hoping to retain him by opening talks about a contract extension beyond 2018 after Sunday's premiership decider.

What Maxwell, as the club's leadership coach, has endeavoured to do is ensure that the standards that have been set at AAMI are maintained.

"It is about giving them responsibility," Maxwell said. "They have their own reviews every week, separate to the leadership group and the coaches, and they'll go through those reviews and look at what worked and didn't work and also their individual performances."

The program is not only a key plank in Melbourne's future. The Storm lost the services of five players to Queensland duty for much of the State of Origin period this year and those being groomed were called on to step into the breach in their absence.

"Obviously at Origin we lose a lot of leaders and not only do you lose them for two to four games each, you lose them for all the training sessions. It's really important that next wave of leaders are picking up the slack," Maxwell said.

"The only way it works is if they want to do it. These guys have all been sensational at coming in and recognising the responsibility they've got. They're not in the senior leadership group but they've been identified, through Craig and Frank and the other leaders, as players who are the future of the football club in terms of leadership."