Analysis Is Leppa the Right Man for the Job?

[notliondown]

I just re-read this thread and I think it is the best convo that's been had on here for some time.

I have a question about your comment here.

If Leppa came in knowing what he knew about Vossy and our cultural problems, isn't the fact he has let 3 maybe 4 senior players sink him in the same fashion an indication that he is has failed in his leadership, and further - that failed to establish himself at the club?

If the issue is with a handful of sacred cows, you simply need to squash those egos within a week of walking in, don't you?

We have a special sort of challenge that requires a special sort leader, clearly.

Sorry to intrude, but you raise an interesting point.

The question(s) are probably these in deciding on the course of action...

Do you really know the extent of the issues when you first arrive at a club?
Do you back yourself in to change that attitude that created the issue?
Do you, as a new coach, create instant division or do you try to be inclusive and mould that discontent to drive your changes?

I can see a bit of "keep your friends close and enemies closer" coming into play.

My guess is that those responsible for the previous upheaval would be falling over themselves to help instigate change. After all that is what they wanted. And naively or otherwise a new coach would be happy to think he had the troublemakers under his wing.

 

[lioninthesand]

Sorry to intrude, but you raise an interesting point.

The question(s) are probably these in deciding on the course of action...

Do you really know the extent of the issues when you first arrive at a club?
Do you back yourself in to change that attitude that created the issue?
Do you, as a new coach, create instant division or do you try to be inclusive and mould that discontent to drive your changes?

I can see a bit of "keep your friends close and enemies closer" coming into play.

My guess is that those responsible for the previous upheaval would be falling over themselves to help instigate change. After all that is what they wanted. And naively or otherwise a new coach would be happy to think he had the troublemakers under his wing.

Yep good point. I like that notion and perhaps when things get to hard the same players look to scape goat the coach?

I just find that sometimes this notion of players or club turmoil being responsible for his failures a bit perplexing, as doesen't that infact indicate a text book, failure of leadership?

The outside factors and forces are different (facilities and funding etc), but where 'group unrest' is concerned, I just can't accept that (if true) it is anything but a failure of leadership, in any situation.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I just find that sometimes this notion of players or club turmoil being responsible for his failures a bit perplexing, as doesen't that infact indicate a text book, failure of leadership?

Thread title aside, I don't think the two are necessarily that interrelated.

Whether Leppitsch is the man for the job is just one factor I see as needing to be sorted out. Selfishness and lack of professionalism in our senior playing group is just another.

Me criticising some players the senior group isn't automatically an advocacy of Leppa. I have had to make this disclaimer before.

 

[Big Lion]

According to the article - that's what it sounded like (not according to me).

Yeah sorry mate was doing the reply from my phone and you can see the result.

 

[POBT]

Do you really know the extent of the issues when you first arrive at a club?
Do you back yourself in to change that attitude that created the issue?
Do you, as a new coach, create instant division or do you try to be inclusive and mould that discontent to drive your changes?

I can see a bit of "keep your friends close and enemies closer" coming into play.

Would have been a massively gutsy call to cull our best young players. Now we're still talking about our best players but they are no longer young - the opportunity cost if we trade them is arguably less.

* assuming the same players are the problem

 

[Big Sauce 21]

If Zorko has the faith and we know Rockliff and Robinson are close with Lepptisch who is the senior players not happy? Josh Green because he can't get a game ? Pearce Hanley ? Rich ? who knows

 

[Gadzorks]

If Zorko has the faith and we know Rockliff and Robinson are close with Lepptisch who is the senior players not happy? Josh Green because he can't get a game ? Pearce Hanley ? Rich ? who knows

Players that want to get their 500k a year contracts signed. Or their managers are bitching on their behalf

 

[Roylion]

Some guessing articles come up and everyone hates the senior players again. Zorko already assuring that the relationship is strong. We're an easy target at the moment and the journos are just posting any purple monkeys that they hear.

Zorko:

"We can totally dismiss that. We've got a lot of trust and a lot of belief in Leppa and he's doing a really great job at the moment,"

"Unless you're inside the four walls you don't really understand what really goes on."

"These rumours started to happen at this time last year as well but I can dismiss that right now ...things are as strong as they've ever been at the club."

"The playing group stands right behind Leppa, even the senior players."

"There's no issue with the way he communicates to the team,"

"He's got a clear game plan he wants us to deliver on the weekend. At the moment, as players, we're letting him down."

"It's great to have so many young kids coming through and as senior players I think we'd all like to be playing a little better to help take the heat off the young guys, but inside our four walls, what the senior players are doing is phenomenal,"

 

[Gadzorks]

Zorko:

"We can totally dismiss that. We've got a lot of trust and a lot of belief in Leppa and he's doing a really great job at the moment,"

"Unless you're inside the four walls you don't really understand what really goes on."

"These rumours started to happen at this time last year as well but I can dismiss that right now ...things are as strong as they've ever been at the club."

"The playing group stands right behind Leppa, even the senior players."

"There's no issue with the way he communicates to the team,"

"He's got a clear game plan he wants us to deliver on the weekend. At the moment, as players, we're letting him down."

"It's great to have so many young kids coming through and as senior players I think we'd all like to be playing a little better to help take the heat off the young guys, but inside our four walls, what the senior players are doing is phenomenal,"

Love Zorko and love what he is saying.

We need to hear this more often to keep us positive.

 

[lioninthesand]

SEN trying for the last hour to get a senior player on the line.

Surely Swan or Steele could have a couple of supporters lined up ready to go?

Things eerily quiet from the players the both general and social media.

Their supportive sentiment would carry so much weight right now, even if just standard club line stuff.

Edit: missed the zorko article, nice work Dayne, love that kid.

 

[Big Lion]

Love Zorko and love what he is saying.

We need to hear this more often to keep us positive.

Trouble is where are the other senior players doing the same.......Rich, Rocky, Hanley, D. Beams, Martin, the list could go on. We are under the pump its time the so called leaders did just that.

 

[M Malice]

Zorko:

"We can totally dismiss that. We've got a lot of trust and a lot of belief in Leppa and he's doing a really great job at the moment,"

"Unless you're inside the four walls you don't really understand what really goes on."

"These rumours started to happen at this time last year as well but I can dismiss that right now ...things are as strong as they've ever been at the club."

"The playing group stands right behind Leppa, even the senior players."

"There's no issue with the way he communicates to the team,"

"He's got a clear game plan he wants us to deliver on the weekend. At the moment, as players, we're letting him down."

"It's great to have so many young kids coming through and as senior players I think we'd all like to be playing a little better to help take the heat off the young guys, but inside our four walls, what the senior players are doing is phenomenal,"

i sincerely hope that all that zorks has said here is the absolute truth. although anybody making statements in the media is hardly going to bag the club or coach/s. lets hope it's not a case of where there's smoke there's fire.

would love nothing more than to have a no more than normal list turnover, leppa stays, rocky captain and we surge up the ladder next year with rocky, beamer, pearce and richy all on fire on the field. it has happened before ie. bulldogs and port recently.

 

[Skoob]

SEN trying for the last hour to get a senior player on the line.

Surely Swan or Steele could have a couple of supporters lined up ready to go?

Things eerily quiet from the players the both general and social media.

Their supportive sentiment would carry so much weight right now, even if just standard club line stuff.

Edit: missed the zorko article, nice work Dayne, love that kid.

Hmmm, sensationalist radio programme (aren't they all) will be looking for a crack in our wall, a chink in the armour, a leak in our bucket, single sign of doom. I'm not sure I'd trust many football players to have the skill to negotiate an interrogation. Whatever the intention, there would bound to be a foot put wrong or a half truth that would be able to be spun to suit the dramatic narrative. Best they shut up and focus on their jobs.

 

[Gadzorks]

Trouble is where are the other senior players doing the same.......Rich, Rocky, Hanley, D. Beams, Martin, the list could go on. We are under the pump its time the so called leaders did just that.

Zorko did say today that it was a bit of shock to read the papers reporting unrest, and a lot of players have said they support Leppa over the last few months.

Maybe they are just getting on with it. Because we can't do anything we talk (via social media) more and listen to scuttlebutt from dodgy reporters that fan the flames of our worst thoughts.

 

[M Malice]

listening to richy on SEN now and he is coming across very well and supportive of leppa. "we will look back on this in a few years and laugh about it"

 

[Skoob]

Hmmm, sensationalist radio programme (aren't they all) will be looking for a crack in our wall, a chink in the armour, a leak in our bucket, single sign of doom. I'm not sure I'd trust many football players to have the skill to negotiate an interrogation. Whatever the intention, there would bound to be a foot put wrong or a half truth that would be able to be spun to suit the dramatic narrative. Best they shut up and focus on their jobs.

listening to richy on SEN now and he is coming across very well and supportive of leppa. "we will look back on this in a few years and laugh about it"

Oh well.

 

[13Beast]

Agreed. IMO the only solution is to trade him at this stage. I can't see anything else being the right choice.

What's he legitimately worth on the open market? Top 10 pick?

 

[Gadzorks]

Trouble is where are the other senior players doing the same.......Rich, Rocky, Hanley, D. Beams, Martin, the list could go on. We are under the pump its time the so called leaders did just that.

Umm rich is right now on sen

 

[luthor]

Trouble is where are the other senior players doing the same.......Rich, Rocky, Hanley, D. Beams, Martin, the list could go on. We are under the pump its time the so called leaders did just that.

Something can only be said so many times.

Having too many people saying it too many times and you run the risk of it coming across as orchestrated propaganda

 

[Big Lion]

Something can only be said so many times.

Having too many people saying it too many times and you run the risk of it coming across as orchestrated propaganda

Yes but.....we are under the pump, Leppa's under the pump, we need a release valve and senior players backing the coach can and would work wonders no matter how many times they come out and do it. Myself as a fan and a member wants to hear them come out in support of our coach and our club.

 

[13Beast]

I fear that might be throwing the baby out with the bath water. It could be worse than keeping both. Quite the conundrum.

Totally agree. Ditch the captain AND the coach in one fell swoop? Jeez Louise. We'd be the laughing stock of the AFL with practically club-destroying moves like that.

Way too much drastic change. And I believe that wouldn't just run the risk of a following player exodus, but almost guarantee it.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Totally agree. Ditch the captain AND the coach in one fell swoop? Jeez Louise. We'd be the laughing stock of the AFL with practically club-destroying moves like that.

Way too much drastic change. And I believe that wouldn't just run the risk of a following player exodus, but almost guarantee it.

Bulldogs two off-seasons ago?

 

[lioninthesand]

Hmmm, sensationalist radio programme (aren't they all) will be looking for a crack in our wall, a chink in the armour, a leak in our bucket, single sign of doom. I'm not sure I'd trust many football players to have the skill to negotiate an interrogation. Whatever the intention, there would bound to be a foot put wrong or a half truth that would be able to be spun to suit the dramatic narrative. Best they shut up and focus on their jobs.

Really? I dis-agree. But that's not surprising LOL. A quick call from Swanny to a senior player - "you know the drill Mate, task at hand, Leppa has our full support, we would prefer to be going better, there is some unrest, thats normal when you're 1-14... 2 or 3 or minutes" - it wasn't the hot seat on Footy classified?.

AFL clubs are media machines and the entire landscape is accusing the senior players of mutiny against their coach, I think someone facing up (as has been done several times before in these situations) and dousing some of the flames would be ideal. I bet Leppa would like a few players fronting up for him, or showing support on social media.

 

[lioninthesand]

Oh great! missed that Richy went on, was really important he did, they were really presenting it as 'COME ON LIONS PLAYERS STEP UP FOR YOUR COACH!"... well done Dan.

 

[M Malice]

Yes but.....we are under the pump, Leppa's under the pump, we need a release valve and senior players backing the coach can and would work wonders no matter how many times they come out and do it. Myself as a fan and a member wants to hear them come out in support of our coach and our club.

richy just did it on SEN forcefully, and zorks earlier. need rocky to front up now as well.