Past Justin Leppitsch - Coach (2014-2016)

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Leppitsch on notice as Lions call review

THE BRISBANE Lions will review Justin Leppitsch's position at the end of the season despite the embattled coach still having a year to run on his contract.

With just two wins from 19 games this season, the 40-year-old's coaching tenure has come under increasing scrutiny, compounded by the disastrous 138-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday night and 94-point defeat to Port Adelaide the week prior.

Lions chairman Bob Sharpless said on Sunday Leppitsch's job would be reviewed at the end of the home and away season.

"The club will stick to the path that it has outlined in recent weeks, which is that Justin is contracted until the end of 2017 and as such, he will coach the remaining three games before being reviewed once the season is over," Sharpless told Channel Nine on Sunday.

Leppitsch signed a one-year contract extension earlier this season, tying him to the club until the end of next year.

He has led his side to 13 wins from 62 games since succeeding Michael Voss as Lions coach in time for the 2014 season.

Speaking after the heavy loss to the Crows, Leppitsch criticised the AFL, saying it had "given nothing" to his struggling team and had instead favoured the expansion clubs.

"We've been given nothing as a footy club," Leppitsch said.

"No extra concessions and money. GWS bought Heath Shaw and (Shane) Mumford with the extra concessions ... you've got to understand there's a system behind what you see on game day.

"Coaching is only one part of a very big picture."
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13Beast said:
I like those comments by Leppitsch. Well done. Hopefully the AFL take notice :)
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Going down swinging like another triple premiership player...

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AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan questioned Brisbane Lions about plan to extend contract of Justin Leppitsch

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan questioned the Brisbane Lions about the club’s plan to extend the contract of Justin Leppitsch prior to the coach being re-signed for 2017.

Sources have confirmed that McLachlan posed the question of whether it was necessary to extend Leppitsch’s contract for an additional 12 months in a conversation with Brisbane Lions chief executive Greg Swann.

McLachlan is understood to have asked whether the Lions were sure that they wanted to go ahead and lock in Leppitsch for another year before the 2016 season had even begun.

Leppitsch’s position is now being reviewed and the senior coach is considered likely to be sacked upon completion of an all-of-club review at season’s end.

McLachlan’s comments were made in pre-season and came after Leppitsch was forced to defend himself following an incident with former Lion Zac O’Brien.

Foxfooty.com.au understands that McLachlan raised the issue of whether Leppitsch had the support of his players. The Lions went ahead and recontracted Leppitsch for 2017 in the knowledge that the club was still early in a rebuilding phase.

The Brisbane review is an internal one and will encompass not only football operations but the club’s marketing and finances.

Leppitsch grabbed O’Brien in the meeting room at halftime of a NEAFL match in 2015 after O’Brien had been disrespectful to reserves coach Shane Woewodin by swearing at him in an argument.

The senior coach later apologised to O’Brien, who approached the club this year questioning whether his delisting was related to the physical altercation.

Leppitsch criticised the AFL last weekend for what he deemed to be a lack of assistance to the Lions compared with expansion teams Gold Coast and GWS in particular.

Leppitsch said Brisbane had been “given nothing as a footy club”.

“We haven’t,” Leppitsch said. “No extra concessions in money. GWS bought Heath Shaw and Mumford with the extra concessions they got with cash.”

The contract extension to Leppitsch was backed by Lions legend and football director on the club board Leigh Matthews. The Lions made the decision knowing that they had a tough early draw and Leppitsch could come under fire.

In three seasons at the helm of the club where he played 227 games, Leppitsch has coached the team to 13 wins and 50 losses. The Lions currently sit 17th having recorded two wins and 17 losses in 2016.
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Justin Leppitsch reveals plans to go on as Brisbane coach next year

JUSTIN Leppitsch left no stone unturned in his comprehensive presentation to the Brisbane board on Tuesday night.

But it is unlikely to be enough to save his job with Lions powerbrokers set to decide the future of Leppitsch early next week.

The board will reconvene on Monday or Tuesday after a five-hour meeting, which included coach Leppitsch’s presentation plus appearances from captain Tom Rockliff, the leadership group, list manager Peter Schwab and football manager Matt Francis.

“He took us on a three-year journey in terms of how he found the place when he first arrived, all the areas that needed to be dealt with and where the changes have been made over the three-year period,” Lions chairman Bob Sharpless said.

“(And) obviously where he saw the team over the next two to three years as well in terms of players, average games played and where we’d be positioned as a football team.

“He did a good job. Justin presents very well.”

But 14 wins from 65 outings at the helm are numbers the board will find hard to ignore.

The Lions had seven wins in 2014, four last season and three this season.

“Justin is contracted for next year but given the year we’ve had and I guess the trajectory over the three years, you can understand why we need to consider all the issues that are in play,” Sharpless said.

“The board meeting we had was an opportunity for all the directors to ask questions of all the senior people across the football club. It was quite a good session.”

Sharpless said senior players were asked about Leppitsch’s game plan, training loads and “all sorts of things” regarding this season.
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No 'gut feel' for Leppa as job fate looms

JUSTIN Leppitsch is unsure whether he will see out his contract as Brisbane Lions coach but claims the criteria he's being judged on "shifted" three weeks ago from long-term development to his win-loss ratio.

Leppitsch has coached the Lions since taking over from former teammate Michael Voss at the end of 2013.

After leading the Lions to finishes of 15th, 17th and 17th in that time with just 14 wins from 66 matches, the three-time premiership defender is highly unlikely to continue next year despite being contracted.

The Lions board is expected to announce Leppitsch's fate on Monday.

If Leppitsch shares the widespread view the board will announce his departure, he took the opportunity to take a parting shot after his team's 58-point loss to St Kilda on Sunday.

"I don't have a gut feel, I don't know (what the board's decision will be). I suppose the messaging throughout the year has been long term throughout the footy club, apart from three weeks ago," Leppitsch said.

"Every moment before that to me (there) hasn't been a win-loss ratio component to me keeping my job, but obviously things have shifted the last couple of weeks.

"So I'm uncertain as to what has transpired."

Leppitsch suggested he would have taken a shorter-term focus at last year's trade and free agency periods if he had known the Lions' win-loss record in 2016 would be crucial to him retaining his position.

"I guess as a coach all you're asking for is what are you being assessed on, that's it," Leppitsch said.

"If it was win-loss this year I would have traded probably the first pick. You would do other things, wouldn't you?

"We went hard for (free agent Matthew) Suckling and then dropped off at the end because he was a bit older for our plans, so you would probably pursue that and you would do other things that give you that chance of upping the win-loss ratio.

"We actually traded picks for future picks for this year [in the James Aish trade]. No doubt (we) wouldn't have done that either.

"It's just knowing where you stand and what your KPIs are, that's the most important thing."

Leppitsch hoped the Lions board would make a call on his future soon, saying everyone at the club needed to move on one way or the other.

But the Lions coach felt he had fulfilled his fundamental job requirement over the past three years of introducing young talent to the club and retaining those players.

Leppitsch said his presentation to the Lions board last week had envisaged the next three years being about developing those players and getting the club in a position to return to the finals.

"I'm a big believer it will probably take another three years to get to the starting blocks of finals," Leppitsch said.

Leppitsch was adamant he was a far better coach than when he started at the Lions, but expected to be judged more harshly than other coaches who had presided over difficult 2016 seasons like Essendon's John Worsfold and Fremantle's Ross Lyon.

"I don't have the credibility of those coaches, there's no doubt and (I) can't afford probably the luxuries they have," Leppitsch said.

"That's probably the parting question. We're all in the same boat as footy clubs as far as needing to play your talent and grow it."
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They are sour words. I don't think he truly means half of that but if he does he is deluded.
 

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Club Statement: Justin Leppitsch released from remainder of contract

Brisbane Lions Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch has been released from the remainder of his contract with the Club.

The Club's Board came to the decision today after a thorough review of the team's performance and the factors influencing continued poor results.

Brisbane Lions Chairman Bob Sharpless said the Club's nine Directors had made the decision to release Leppitsch from the final year of his contract, which ran to the end of the 2017 season.

"Justin presented to the Board last week as a part of our review and he was impressive - he gave a number of reasons why the team's results have not reached the levels that we all expect, as well as outlining where he saw the team going in coming years," said Sharpless.

"Injuries, retirements, a clean-out of the playing list and fixture issues have all played their part, but at the end of the day, this is a results-driven industry and we are simply not a competitive football team at the moment.

"We have regressed from 10 wins in 2013, to seven wins in 2014, four wins last season, and to three this year - while the nature of some of this season's heavy defeats to teams around the same position on the AFL ladder have been bitterly disappointing.

"Justin has achieved a lot in his three years as Senior Coach but the Board was not satisfied - given the team's performance and lack of improvement over the past three seasons - that the status quo should be maintained.

"The Club needs to go in a different direction and we believe that starts with a new Senior Coach.

"Justin is a legend of the Club and we thank him for all he has done during his time as coach - in particular the work in blooding a huge number of young players who will no doubt go on to be long-term champions of the Brisbane Lions.

"We wish Justin all the best in the future."

The Brisbane Lions will now commence a process to appoint a Senior Coach for the 2017 AFL season.
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Leppitsch: No hard feelings

Former Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch says he has no hard feelings towards the club after his dismissal following three seasons at the helm.

Leppitsch was released on Monday from the final year of his contract after the Lions recorded a 17th-placed finish with just three wins this year.

“I think the club’s in good shape and it would be a really good job to go for now. You’ve got some really got bookends that are still young,” he said on Channel 9’s The Footy Show.

“I would have liked to have got on with phase two, which is what I presented to the board. Phase one was getting the talent on the list, now it’s about growing and developing and having that run at finals.”

Leppitsch told Channel Nine on Thursday night he was initially disappointed and angry with the board's decision, but quickly accepted the club needed to go in a different direction.

Leppitsch said he had no issue with being notified of his sacking over the phone or with the players being informed via text message – not email – as had been widely reported.

"Obviously, it was disappointing early, but there's a great realisation in this game that we're all just passing parades," Leppitsch said.

“I’m a pretty resilient type of guy. It happens when you grow up with red hair.

"There's been disappointment, there's been levels of inevitability at times and there's been other times I've felt disappointed that this process has happened, but it's also part of the big picture of the footy club and the club is bigger than any individual.

"The most-important thing is that our football club has a united front going forward," he said.
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Spud Reveals Damian Barrett Nearly Got In A Punch-On With Justin Leppitsch


Danny Frawley has revealed the details of a confrontation between Damian Barrett and formerBrisbane coach Justin Lepptisch.


Frawley, who spoke with Brisbane legend Michael Voss, revealed the details of the incident on theSaturday Rub.

"I'm led to believe, two o'clock Friday morning after a great Footy Show...Justin Leppitsch was there with a few of his former team mates."

He suggested there was a bit of a confrontation.

"Lepptisch wanted to basically cave his head in," he said.

"It took Michael Voss and Jamie Charman to try and hold Leppitsch back. There was froth coming out of his mouth, he obviously hasn't taken kindly to what Barrett's said, probably over the last couple of years."

Brian Taylor was shocked.

"Are you saying to me that Leppitsch was within seconds of coming to blows with Damo at a public event?" he asked.

"Yes," Spud responded.

Barrett went on to explain.

"They gate-crashed our party, BT," he said.

"I get on well with most of the people from that team, but Justin Leppitsch clearly had an issue on this occasion with me."

He suggested Spud was "putting a bit of mayonnaise" on the incident.

"I think you're beating it up a bit though, Spud," he said. "We just had a little exchange of words and that was pretty much all.

"I was accused of doing something that ended his career, which I don't think was right...I might have reminded him that it was board that made the decision on his career, not me.

"Michael Voss diffused the situation."
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iBeng said:
Would have made his face into sauce.
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Went to school with Barrett and we have a school reunion this month... just to make him squirm and feel uneasy...I'll get up next to Barrett, look outside and ask him .."Is that Justin Leppitsch hiding over there?".
 
Football Pope said:
Went to school with Barrett and we have a school reunion this month... just to make him squirm and feel uneasy...I'll get up next to Barrett, look outside and ask him .."Is that Justin Leppitsch hiding over there?".
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Even better, tell him you won a competition for Leppa to come to an event with you and he'll be here in 10 minutes...
 
Football Pope said:
Went to school with Barrett and we have a school reunion this month... just to make him squirm and feel uneasy...I'll get up next to Barrett, look outside and ask him .."Is that Justin Leppitsch hiding over there?".
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Football Pope, if you get the chance, please pass on this message from me to Barrett - "you're a campaigner. A slimy, lowlife, scumbag campaigner."

Thanks.
 
AFLQLD said:
Football Pope, if you get the chance, please pass on this message from me to Barrett - "you're a campaigner. A slimy, lowlife, scumbag campaigner."

Thanks.
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And ask him if he knows exactly how his wife went from being a Marketing Assistant to Lead Sales Director at News Corp in the space of a few months - even with the minor detail of no previous sales experience ;)
 
Richmond look at former St Kilda player Xavier Clarke for coaching role

Justin Leppitsch – sacked at the end of the season after three unsuccessful seasons as Brisbane Lions coach – has been targeted by the Tigers for a return to Richmond, where he had been an assistant coach before assuming the Lions job at the end of 2013. The Tigers say they are keen to secure Leppitsch's services again, provided he is in the right frame of mind after his challenging experience at the Gabba.
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