Analysis Is Leppa the Right Man for the Job?

[James North]

I just wish the guy showed a bit more passion in the coach's box during games. Every single ******* time the cameras are on him he's either sitting there with a dumbfounded look on his face or looks resigned and just can't ******* wait for the game to be over. Doesn't look like he cares one way or the other when we lose.

It's because they can't show him throwing things around and swearing in the box...

 

[Ruse]

It's because they can't show him throwing things around and swearing in the box...

Yeah I've never ****ing seen that. Leigh used to go absolutely ballistic in the box.

 

[Dylan12]

Some supporters need to stop kidding themselves and making the same excuses. Nearly everyone single of us had high hopes going into this season (like many before), and once again we are a laughing stock. That is unacceptable and the buck stops with the coach. As some have stated, we have not improved what so ever. Granted our list isn't full of A-graders but at the same time its not garbage either. Certainly enough talent to be competitive and causing some upsets along the way. Enough is enough.

Good post and I highlighted the bolded because it is so true.

All most of us have read / heard for years now on an ongoing and annual basis from the club and many supporters with rose coloured glasses are excuses and the standard default line that things are improving which inevitably are not.

Its like the standard rubbish excuse for Merrett whenever he comes back from whatever that he always takes a few games to get going.

Surely we can expect a higher standard, but given we have been so average for so long, the club, coach and players have accepted mediocrity and continue to defend the indefensible. How can anyone say that we haven't?

Either way, I think a fair chunk of supporters are just sick of the excuses, but sadly there are just as many supporters and club employees that are happy to constantly wheel out excuse after excuse as if it is a valid justification. No wonder we've perennially been rooted to the bottom four for the better part of a dozen years and will continue to be for a minimum of the next half dozen.

 

[Dylan12]

Also to consider is that there is still a bit of friction between Leppa and the playing group. Leppa acknowledge it last season and vowed to work on it but to still hear whispers coming out from the den of player/coach relationships not up to scratch is a it concerning. Rocky is a loose cannon as well and having those two in positions of power must be tough for anyone but especially the young players IMO.

Worrying, but hardly surprising.

 

[Thedeftouch]

Sadly I think our problems go well beyond Leppa. Check out the Brisbane Lions Facebook page. Tonight they have posted a video regarding the work performed by the "Senior Football Analyst". Apparently we have three full-time analysts. Without being harsh, the video is not exactly confidence inspiring as it suggests that our analysts spend their time performing administrative tasks and operating at a fairly basic level (looking at the same data as all the other clubs and examining arbitrary KPIs). From watching the video, you get a very strong sense that we are not using data to enhance our chances of winning.

 

[lionshine]

It's because they can't show him throwing things around and swearing in the box...

Not sure if this post was serious or not but yes they can... and they do for every coach that does it. I am looking at you Brad Scott

 

[ColdWarWarrior]

The clock has been ticking since the start of the year...The Jury handed Leppa a contract extension because they considered it was an unfavourable draw....Start of the year.. I had us 0-10...My complaint is the basic skills aren't there and at times we seem to be miles behind the State leagues in traditional football States...

Not just the basic skills but as of the last two games the effort has not been there and that is what everybody is so concerned about.

 

[Jman78]

Yeah I've never ******* seen that. Leigh used to go absolutely ballistic in the box.

Lethal could take a dump in the box and they'd show it cause it's Leigh

 

[dlanod]

Sorry mate but you didn't preface your response with 'improved excluding injury'. Rocky and Hanley are shadows of their former selves, the reason is injury (more so rocky - hanley has regressed) but for one reason or another they havent improved, it was just odd you threw them up. Same with martin, he has regressed this year. You claim my post is a hyperbole, I feel yours was just inncorrect. Agree to disagree though - imo, its fair to say the lack of improvement in our list has beem alarming.

"Genuine improvement". All improved under Leppa from what they were before. Even you appear to be conceding that.

 

[dlanod]

It's because they can't show him throwing things around and swearing in the box...

We should have hired ZOB as an assistant coach so Leppa could show some emotion.

 

[Eons]

Sadly I think our problems go well beyond Leppa. Check out the Brisbane Lions Facebook page. Tonight they have posted a video regarding the work performed by the "Senior Football Analyst". Apparently we have three full-time analysts. Without being harsh, the video is not exactly confidence inspiring as it suggests that our analysts spend their time performing administrative tasks and operating at a fairly basic level (looking at the same data as all the other clubs and examining arbitrary KPIs). From watching the video, you get a very strong sense that we are not using data to enhance our chances of winning.

His name is James, James Spencer.

 

[lioninthesand]

"Genuine improvement". All improved under Leppa from what they were before. Even you appear to be conceding that.

If you want to give Rocky, Hanley, Lester, Bewick a big Juicy 'tick' on their Improvement/ development under Leppa to this point in the career, knock yourself out, I personally think you are clutching at straws a bit and I think that the fact all of them require a footnote, in order to justify improvement, bar maybe Zorko - is indicative of the mediocre / excuse culture we have become accustom too. any list should develop to a point where it has a minimum 3-4 A graders at anyone time (as a bare minimum), at the moment we have 1, plus 5-6 of our supposedly 'promising' youngsters have stopped dead in their tracks. 'Improvement.. none, here? improvement?... no improvement'...

 

[SizeMatters]

If you want to give Rocky, Hanley, Lester, Bewick a big Juicy 'tick' on their Improvement/ development under Leppa to this point in the career, knock yourself out, I personally think you are clutching at straws a bit and I think that the fact all of them require a footnote, in order to justify improvement, bar maybe Zorko - is indicative of the mediocre / excuse culture we have become accustom too. any list should develop to a point where it has a minimum 3-4 A graders at anyone time (as a bare minimum), at the moment we have 1, plus 5-6 of our supposedly 'promising' youngsters have stopped dead in their tracks. 'Improvement.. none, here? improvement?... no improvement'...

I agree with regards to overhyping the improvement with those players. Blokes like Hanley, and Zorko should be AA already they have all the tools to be dominant players but for what ever reason haven't gone on to be anything special. We have a development crisis at the club and Leppa has a huge part to play in this. Also bringing up Lester, Bewick as those that have improved under Leppa is a bit of a reach... Lester was a better player under Voss IMO, and Bewick looks good but he has only strung together 2 good games for us this season. Both were coming from pretty low ceiling as it were. Honestly a lot of our players have regressed and some have even left because they weren't improving under Leppa.

 

[CarloLion]

I really hate the peppy facebook posts after heavy losses. 'Hey Lions fans, guess what? We Won the hitouts on the weekend!!' WOOOOO!!!

 

[winged1]

Simpson is a tactically good coach. Just look what he managed to do last season with 2 of his best key defenders out for the whole season. Weagles web was a huge success... can't think of anything Leppa has implemented into our team that makes us competitive TBH. There just doesn't seem like any sort of game plan at all... looks totally random whenever we play. Maybe that's got to do with the players not sticking to structures, or maybe the game plan doesn't hold up when opposition play for it. Either way Leppa better change something soon or he may be gone by the end of the season if we keep on losing like we have been the past 2 weeks.

The web the eagles do is pretty cool and it was able to hide a lot of their deficiencies one on one in the back line, coaches with under performing teams have been able to gain success with innovations like that, Hawthorn is similar with the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

Usually that innovation is around defence (flood, web) or making sure forward incursions are used correctly (going around the perimeter of the 50). I havent seen it at Brisbane, the coach was pushed from a more defensive, possession based plan to a run and gun by the player group. Where is the run and gun now? Nobody wanted to run and nobody wanted to run defensively with the exception of Paps, but that is what he does.

Maybe the tail has been wagging the dog for too long, with the exodus of players the player group seems to wield a lot of power at Brisbane.

I am not giving an endorsement to Leppa either, I think there have been a number of well documented failings. But the whispers around the players not liking him seem to be getting louder.

The truth is a lot of our senior players dont do enough, I have said it before Rich is a good solid player but no star. Rocky is an accumulator, but doesnt hurt the opposition (I know he didnt play), Bastinac 14 possessions for a mid? It seems he gets a game based on a few personal relationships and a letter he sent to Simon Black when he was a kid. I sent a letter to Santa when I was 6, doesnt mean I can be head elf. Christensen has issues, pure and simple and until he gets his head screwed on, play him in the twos. Bell, I dont get it we have our bullocking mid but he is playing HFF. Taylor is playing like he wants to leave. There was a lot of criticism of the backline, but when it is coming in with no pressure they didnt have a chance.

FFS Melbourne are huge favourites to win and are looking like resting players against us. We have kids giving a crack week in week out in the twos, yeah they might not be ready and yeah they might need work, but give me a guy who wants to play and have a crack over what we have now.

 

[CarloLion]

Great post winged1.

Really hoping both Mathieson and Robertson get in this week (provided Robbo's finger is ok).

 

[winged1]

Great post winged1.

Really hoping both Mathieson and Robertson get in this week (provided Robbo's finger is ok).

Thanks mate, I have brief moments of lucidity.

 

[theteamtobeat]

We probably need to sign Taylor, Green and Gardiner before we sack Leppa. We should go after Paul Roos. He's done a great job transforming Melbourne considering we are in a similar position to them a couple years ago.

 

[Dylan12]

One area that greatly concerns me and I preface this by saying I could be wide of the mark, but from an outsiders point of view whenever I watch games on TV and the cameras pan to the coaches boxes, every other of the 17 clubs look as though they have massive coaching panels comprising statisticians etc yet whenever it pans to our box, it is just Leppa, Daly and may be one other.

Are we really that under resourced because if not, where are all the other assistants, statisticians etc. It just looks a sorry sight.

 

[lioninthesand]

One area that greatly concerns me and I preface this by saying I could be wide of the mark, but from an outsiders point of view whenever I watch games on TV and the cameras pan to the coaches boxes, every other of the 17 clubs look as though they have massive coaching panels comprising statisticians etc

I have said that for the last few years. Others have told me it's the angle of the camera at the Gabba - however, this was never an issue when Voss was coach, you would always see Harvey and others around him. I would assume, from what we see at almost every ground, he only has DD and that stats kid with him in the Box, with Blacky and others on the bench - I am led to believe however - there is a raft of people around him, we just don't see them for one reason or another. Other teams there is always 7 or people communicating in the box, you never see this with leppa - he just sits there. It is my most troubling element of his tenure - Vossy was always on the phone or talking, asking questions.

 

[Milk Steak]

I really hate the peppy facebook posts after heavy losses. 'Hey Lions fans, guess what? We Won the hitouts on the weekend!!' WOOOOO!!!

Oh that shits me to tears aswell. Considering unfollowing the FB page because of it.

 

[Milk Steak]

We probably need to sign Taylor, Green and Gardiner before we sack Leppa. We should go after Paul Roos. He's done a great job transforming Melbourne considering we are in a similar position to them a couple years ago.

Can we please stop suggesting that we try and get Paul Roos. He doesn't want to come here and he's moving overseas. It ain't happening. If we're talking realistic options I don't mind John Barker. Montgomery seems to have a decent reputation too.

 

[dlanod]

One area that greatly concerns me and I preface this by saying I could be wide of the mark, but from an outsiders point of view whenever I watch games on TV and the cameras pan to the coaches boxes, every other of the 17 clubs look as though they have massive coaching panels comprising statisticians etc yet whenever it pans to our box, it is just Leppa, Daly and may be one other.

Are we really that under resourced because if not, where are all the other assistants, statisticians etc. It just looks a sorry sight.

Pretty sure there's at least half a dozen guys in there. As lioninthesand mentioned, it's largely camera angles at the Gabba at least. When there is a wide shot shown you can see a bunch of guys on the other side of him.

 

[winged1]

Pretty sure there's at least half a dozen guys in there. As lioninthesand mentioned, it's largely camera angles at the Gabba at least. When there is a wide shot shown you can see a bunch of guys on the other side of him.

Yeah but they are just drinking beer and going "gee the coach is shit"

 

[Cockliff38]

One area that greatly concerns me and I preface this by saying I could be wide of the mark, but from an outsiders point of view whenever I watch games on TV and the cameras pan to the coaches boxes, every other of the 17 clubs look as though they have massive coaching panels comprising statisticians etc yet whenever it pans to our box, it is just Leppa, Daly and may be one other.

Are we really that under resourced because if not, where are all the other assistants, statisticians etc. It just looks a sorry sight.

Have noticed that too but also worth mentioning that Black, GoD and to a lesser extent even Lambo are regular features on the bench.