Justin Leppitsch - New Brisbane Lions Coach

[you rippa]

champion player, hopefully champion coach too.

 

[Jacko72]

Genuine question because i'm having a mental blank.

Has a past player ever been a successful coach within 10 years from retiring as a player at the club they've taken over?

John Worsfold

 

[Tas]

I think you should make decisions that are based on the upside and potential for success rather than the worrying about the PR situation if it goes balls up.

If Leppitsch was the best candidate at the end of the process, then he is the right appointment.

With an untried coach there is no basis for making a decision based on upside, you don't know if anyone can coach until they have a crack. There is just a lot more baggage in terms of getting rid of a bad coach who is also a past player.

I think clubs can be conflicted when hiring ex players as coaches. Laidley for North, Buckley for Pies, Primus for Port, there are a lot of candidates that go back and coach their old club that do not have the same kind of impact as looking outside the club, creates a lot more angst when it is time to show them the door as well.

I would not want my club to ever again give a past player as an untried coach the job, I wouldn't mind someone returning to the club like Clarkson or Longmire down the road now that they have shown they can coach, just don't think it is good for club morale to be shooting past players in the head career-wise.

 

[Hollow Knight]

With an untried coach there is no basis for making a decision based on upside, you don't know if anyone can coach until they have a crack.

Well with that approach there will be no new senior coaches ever. Not sure I want to see a 90 year old Mick Malthouse coaching my club in 2040.

 

[Bazzar]

Genuine question because i'm having a mental blank.

Has a past player ever been a successful coach within 10 years from retiring as a player at the club they've taken over?

Roos

 

[RuFiO]

Genuine question because i'm having a mental blank.

Has a past player ever been a successful coach within 10 years from retiring as a player at the club they've taken over?

Hird

 

[Bazzar]

Hird

He said successful

 

[Tas]

Well with that approach there will be no new senior coaches ever. Not sure I want to see a 90 year old Mick Malthouse coaching my club in 2040.

There are usually plenty of good options who didn't play for the club.

If Scott totally sucked or Hardwick totally sucked for the Tigers, it wouldn't have been that big a deal for our clubs to just say, thanks for coming but it is not working out. The drama Richmond went through telling Bartlett he sucked and us telling Schimmelbusch he sucked created a lot of angst.

If Buckley is no better next year will Eddie tap him on the shoulder? I seriously doubt it.

 

[Brisbane2013]

Has it actually been explained why Voss was sacked?

We only won a few first quarters under him, that would have to be the main reason why he was gone, 5 years and he couldn't even get that sorted out.

 

[Cat Stevens]

James Hird.

Can you say that again?

 

[Hollow Knight]

There are usually plenty of good options who didn't play for the club.

Yes, but it seems there was a better option that did play for the club. As has been said, he wasn't even originally amongst those headheaded for interviews. He really came from the clouds and won it on his own merits. Would be stupid to eliminate the best candidate on account of the fact they played for the club.

Yeah it will suck for a while if it ends badly but it could also be balls to the wall awesome if it is a success.

You are more than welcome to prefer your club to have a different policy.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

Voss got sacked because Rockliff wins the brownlow if he doesn't play every second week as a forward.

Voss coaching 101: if it aint broken, break it!

 

[tugga]

Very good operator. A lot of our defensive improvement has come from Leppa's input. Didn't want to lose him, but I'm happy he gets a gig at his original club. he'll do well.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

We'll soon see how much he really rates Dusty Martin

 

[Jacko72]

Any news on Dusty lately? Any closer to re-signing with Tiges? Any possibility of Leppa luring him to the Lions?

 

[HBF]

Yes, but it seems there was a better option that did play for the club. As has been said, he wasn't even originally amongst those headheaded for interviews. He really came from the clouds and won it on his own merits. Would be stupid to eliminate the best candidate on account of the fact they played for the club.

Yeah it will suck for a while if it ends badly but it could also be balls to the wall awesome if it is a success.

You are more than welcome to prefer your club to have a different policy.

So there was a shortlist of headhunted applicants and then what happened after that?
Pretty good effort on Leppa's part to come from the clouds as you say, and get the head coaching role at his former club.
Reading some of the Richmond posters thoughts on Leppa - he's going to be missed at Tigerland.

 

[Slax]

Genuine question because i'm having a mental blank.

Has a past player ever been a successful coach within 10 years from retiring as a player at the club they've taken over?

Paul Roos.

David Parkin at Hawthorn would be an even better example as the majority of the list he had in 1977 when he took over he would've played under him when he was captain (retired in 1974)

 

[Richo83]

With an untried coach there is no basis for making a decision based on upside, you don't know if anyone can coach until they have a crack. There is just a lot more baggage in terms of getting rid of a bad coach who is also a past player.

I think clubs can be conflicted when hiring ex players as coaches. Laidley for North, Buckley for Pies, Primus for Port, there are a lot of candidates that go back and coach their old club that do not have the same kind of impact as looking outside the club, creates a lot more angst when it is time to show them the door as well.

I would not want my club to ever again give a past player as an untried coach the job, I wouldn't mind someone returning to the club like Clarkson or Longmire down the road now that they have shown they can coach, just don't think it is good for club morale to be shooting past players in the head career-wise.

On the other hand, having a favourite son come back and do well can do wonders for a club. It will galvanize the club and make the success that much sweeter. I think they've made the right move, trying to get Roos was a bit of a false step, but I'm still not convinced Voss can coach. To me it seemed like Harvey was the better coach, and he really deserves a coaching job IMO. Leppitch will improve their defensive structure, and if he can improve their discipline, he'll help the club a fair bit.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

This stinks of Matthew Primus' appointment IMO. Former favourite son gets a job at his old club, despite not being highly rated enough that any other club would even consider him for a senior coaching role. Hopefully for Brisbane it works out, but I wouldn't be happy with this appointment if I was a Lions fan.

I was hoping for a non Lions player, but I am now hoping that the amount of time it's taken them to decide means they have put a lot of thought into making the decision and Leppitsch has stood out because they think he's the best available, not just an ex Lion. Hoping.

 

[Hollow Knight]

This stinks of Matthew Primus' appointment IMO. Former favourite son gets a job at his old club, despite not being highly rated enough that any other club would even consider him for a senior coaching role.

Actually Leppitsch has been regarded for a while in footy circles as having senior coach potential. I don't ever recall that being said about Primus.

 

[Calamity]

I think one of the benefits of Leppa as coach is he has a first-hand understanding of how it feels to leave home at 18 for footy at a club and state a long way from home. He *knows* what its like - he's lived it (and spent the first year or so at Brisbane on crutches after one - or two? - knee reco's).

This can only help with some of the *go-home* mentality which seems to be affecting the club at the moment

 

[PumpyChowdown]

Good appointment. Hopefully he can steady the ship.

If the Lions sort their board out asap, and Matthews also assists Leppa, things will progress for Brisbane.

 

[Righteo]

It's good that unlike Voss he has already served as an assistant coach elsewhere for a few years.

Defenders seems to make pretty good coaches, although having been Richmond's defensive coach isn't exactly the best credentials

Good luck to Leppa, I really hope he does well.

 

[Jacko72]

This stinks of Matthew Primus' appointment IMO. Former favourite son gets a job at his old club, despite not being highly rated enough that any other club would even consider him for a senior coaching role, let alone give him the role. Hopefully for Brisbane it works out, but I wouldn't be happy with this appointment if I was a Lions fan.

Leppa was highly regarded at Richmond. He arrived there when they were struggling, he transformed their defence to one of the best in the comp. Also he helped develop them through a stage of rebuilding, and look at them now.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Also helps that Leppa has personality by the bucketload which is pretty handy for an AFL coach in a rugby town.