Who's our Coach for 2014?

[dlanod]

For the Craig haters, what's the thinking behind this logical conundrum?

1. Craig is awful
2. Leigh is great
3. Leigh wants to hire Craig

Reductio ad absurdum.

 

[chopperduck]

I'm 100% with Zoblitz. I too really need that 500 bucks, but I struggle to see why we need a two year change over. You bring in 2 new people to the club, what is Craig meant to do in the next two years, rebuild the game plan and have the team playing his footy only for Leppa to again change it in 2 years time ? If he is just going to work with Leppa, why not just use the same set up Voss and Harvey had? To what benefit is it to Leppa to have Craig take the reins for the first two years ?

Appointing Craig puzzles me, appointing him for only 2 years puzzles me even more. Perhaps we will lose Harvey (I think we will) and we just really want that senior coach in there to help.

 

[weevil]

Craig seems to be respected by people within the industry, just not the fans.

'The fans' will almost instantly change their tune if we start winning games.

 

[blynd_freddie]

Reductio ad absurdum.

"It’s the modern fallacy of extending someones argument to ridiculous proportions and criticising the result…"

Big Bang Theory brought me here.

 

[chopperduck]

For me, end of the day, I won't like the Craig appointment or agree to it, but if that's what we do then ill get behind the team and the coach and give him a fair run. Ill judge him as senior coach with an open mind, especially with a succession plan in place, means everything he doesn't probably isn't all his decision. Leppa may very well say over the next two seasons I want some games invested into longer and Lisle so when I take over in two years these boys should be really right to go.

I do wonder how much of a role Leppa will play and how muh will be let known to the public.

 

[Lionator]

Leppa doesn't tick the boxes; like coaching at a club with sustained finals success. We want a leader of men who's been exposed to the best culture. Love Leppa but surely Tudor or Simpson tick these boxes better.

I want to believe in LEPPA more. Can anyone help me with this?

 

[dlanod]

I want to believe in LEPPA more. Can anyone help me with this?

With Leppa comes Dustin Martin!

 

[Bucking Beads]

I have to wonder what makes Leppa the man. I would have thought the other Assistants who applied have better credentials. I'd actually prefer someone with no ties to the club if we are going with an untried option. I guess I'll just have to put faith in the panel who are selecting the coach.

 

[acuguy]

Wow some interesting thoughts!

I have a few key issues with some of the posts before on Neil Craig

1. Neil Craig- his work at Melbourne tainted his career, Melbourne was a basket case on and off the field before Craig got there, finally it hit rock bottom and the AFL rescued it, for Craig it was like jumping on the titanic after it hit the iceberg.
2. Craig was a successful coach during his time in Adelaide, the dream is to win a gf, but the goal is to get to position where we are consistently playing finals, this will mean our club is viable on the field and more importantly starting to make money off it! Craig has a good track record.

Finally I have a major issue with this succession plan

The really successful succession plan came from the Swans- this was after Roos and Longmire had worked together for years and Roos identified Longmire as the next potential senior coach.

Leon Cameron was employed with only a 1 year succession plan- basically he coached the team and sheeds promoted and motivated.

I think it is dangerous to manufacture a 2 year succession plan with 2 personalities who haven't worked together before. You also need a playing group mature enough to handle this arrangement, the Pies group didn't embrace it and we are now seeing the fallout. Too much potential for white anting under this model! I am a sceptic!

 

[weevil]

Is it unreasonable to believe you should have success before you start thinking about succession?

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Well, I could use the $500...

The main problem I'm having with Craig (I don't really care about his communication abilities or lack there of) is why he was able to coach sides that finished in the top 4 but seemed to stop dead when playing finals. I was watching football back then but I struggle to remember what the actual issues were. I'm just wondering whether it was a systematic issue of Craig's game-plan, fitness regimes or something else entirely. I have less of a problem with how his final years at Adelaide ended up because there are very few coaches that leave a football club at their own volition on the best of terms.

$500? Your shout then.

I'd take top 4, if he's only onboard for 2 years.

 

[Haso]

I think that this can be looked at with some circumspection. Craig really will steady the ship - he's a ship steadier. Brought a little competitiveness back into the Melbourne team in the back half of this year, for a given amount of competitive, considering how Melbournified many of those poor boys had become. Sure he's a bit Colonel Blanders, but he has qualities that we do require. His fitness and sports science background will be invaluable, he is experienced, and he wears him some sexy, sexy shorts.

Leppa has the hard edge that we want at the Lions, and I think that his time spent away from the club has provided him with a skillset that can circumvent the perceived 'insularness' of appointing another Lions great to the role. This being a succession plan, Leppa will be participating in gradually more and more of the senior tasks, meaning that Craig will more than likely occupy that more 'guiding' role that we were looking to engage him for a little while ago. Leppa is more of a cult of personality (read: a more likeable fella), and as long as their working relationship builds and strengthens (i.e. if Leigh and Dean Warren ensure that they work together effectively) then I think it will end up working.

Of course, I would also be happy if this doesn't end up eventuating and Leigh Tudor walks on in.

 

[Lionator]

With Leppa comes Dustin Martin!

it could have the opposite effect.

 

[nedda]

So Hamilton can quote Warren about Staker but was unavailable for a comment on the coaching appointment, a little strange if you ask me. If this is the case why wait until after the grand final?? the two gentlemen are not involved in finals and everyone knows appointing a coach now will help in retaining players rather than go into trade week with players futures up in the air. to many holes for my liking.

If it is Craig and Leppa appoint them now and lets get some stability back within our club.

 

[Scubaveg]

Go Leppa go Leppa go Leppa go Leppa!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[Lionator]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...under-neil-craig/story-fni5f4q3-1226721272741
I would happily take Leppa but just him, i am really not keen on the idea of Craig at all. Surely Lethal will be able to offer any advise that he requires. Getting Craig in could be detrimental.

just read the article again. Mostly still all guess work from what I can tell. Hammo is connecting dots from comments we made early about a succession plan whilst Roos was still an option. If it was Craig and Leppa why wait longer? The club knows every day without our coach is hurting our list

 

[Lionontheline]

Surely a joke.. How could we sack voss to get roos, roos ends up at Melbourne, shows Craig the door, we hire Craig as senior for the next two years. Would be happy with Craig as a senior assistant but not as senior coach. Just seems a bit of an odd situation from which we end up getting the reject.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I think that this can be looked at with some circumspection. Craig really will steady the ship - he's a ship steadier.

I would have thought our club is steady on field. Our list is solid and our team plays hard and they put in. Off field is where the ship needs to be steadied and I doubt Craig will help with that. I'd also be surprised if Craig helps at all with keeping any of the young guys weighing up there futures.

 

[dlanod]

it could have the opposite effect.

I was 50/50 on Leppitsch (feels a bit too "favoured son rd 2") but you've convinced me.

Recruit Leppa!

 

[Monkey Daniel]

I wonder how many of these anti-Craig people, were also opposed to him being brought to Brisbane as an assistant ??

 

[GrayLion]

Got a strange thought process about this one, initially my thoughts were a big fat no!! Now I feel like I am coming around to the idea of craig a little bit, and I don't like it, because I know I will hate his pressers...

For Craig....

• His Last roll of the dice?? You would think that whatever his next coaching appointment is, it will be his last. So to go out in a big way would be a huge driving force for him. I know that in his position it would be for me...
• He never quite got there, but got close. This is probably in addition to the last point.
• He just suffered at a shyte club in the heartland of AFL, with close scrutiny. He will want to improve his name.
• A positive win-loss record, with finals appearances.
• Seems to have the respect of the industry
• His last season with the crows he got booted because of poor performances, but it was with a very inexperienced team, all the teams leadership group basically retired.
• Cheaper that Roos

Against Craig...

• He just irks me
• He was just at Melbourne, under Neeld
• The crows never seemed to convert season success into finals success, although it was mainly due the the West Coke Eagles
• His 'new' game plan that worked when he started his career is now 'old', I hope he has something new to go on.
• He's not Roos

I should note tho, that I wasn't a fan of getting Roos anyway, too big a name, and maybe too big an ego. I would prefer someone who is an excellent coach, that doesn't cost quite so much. After all, we don't need the apparent respect boost from a Roos. Most of the football world expects us to be a force in 2-3 years, we don't need Roos for that. Melbourne needs Roos because they are an absolute cluster of a club.

 

[Maboo]

The report in the courier mail this morning, says that this is one of two options (albeit the favored one) to be presented to the board. but further down it quotes "Malcolm Holmes last night revealed an additional contender had emerged, and would be interviewed this week" Clarkson?

 

[Surly Boy]

Richardson?
C. Scott?

hmmm the plot thickens...

 

[GingerGreatness]

For the record, I don't mind what's being reported. Leppa and our back 6 = winning.

I do wonder though re: the reported thought process of wanting a "squeaky clean" candidate - I can't remember how much involvement Craig had in Tippett-gate, but am guessing because that has been officially dealt with, there's no issues there.

 

[notting18]

Part of me worries that a Leppa/Craig partnership is based on the fact that Leppa could be the 'face' of the club, and that doesn't seem right to me.