News Leppitsch's contract extended until 2017

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WA Lion said:
I think the issue is though that fans are so passionate about their club, that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between these 2, and one persons faith is another persons support depending on perspective and personal perspective. A very emotive issue
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That's what I was getting at. That's why it is important not to be too judgmental about other people's perspectives.
 
I think giving Leppa an extension is the best thing the club can do at the moment. A show of faith in what we are trying to build as a club. The place was a mess when Leppa got the job and now we are finally seeing the changes that were required.
 

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I support the extension. I might have supported a two year extension but am happy enough with one.

I don't really buy into the 'Leppa has shown nothing' arguments. The role of a head coach is an expansive role, with a lot of facets to it.

When one says he has shown nothing what does one actually mean?

We know from the first two years that Leppa is very good at talking the talk, energising the fan base, For good or ill that is part of the role. He is pretty good at selling his vision to the public. It may be that the stresses of the poor start to 2015 were such that he hadn't sold it as well inside the rooms, but he is working on that and I think that has improved.

That he doesn't have a clear view of his best 22? I suspect he does. (though that may change with Schache and Keays coming in). I suspect he knows the 22 players he would like to write on the team list and spent most of 2015 kicking the cat because he never had them available.

That he has not developed players? He has only been there for two years, he has been forced to play a lot of kids, I think he has shown some success in this regard. Papparone, is a success,

That he has traded poorly? Bundy and Mitch say hi. Bell and Basti will be around later I suspect.

That he has lost some of the dressing room? Yep, there certainly seemed to be some who didn't sign up to his vision. There ay still be some, he needs to coach the entire list, not just his favourites, but gee that's pretty hard and even the best coaches can't always do this.

That he has not developed a game plan? I think at times we have seen glimpses of the fast running overlap football Leppa would like us to play. There might be an argument to say that this is a game plan beyond us in terms of our skills and has been poorly thought out (or implemented). It might also be argued that it was worth going all in on the game plan as soon as possible so that the thinking is ingrained by the time the skills and the cattle match it.

I don't know that he will ultimately be great at any of those things. But I suspect he is too smart, and too motivated not to become good at them, given the time to do so.
 
Leppitsch set for rolling one-year deals, says Lions CEO

JUSTIN Leppitsch will be on a rolling contract for the rest of his time at the Brisbane Lions if chief executive Greg Swann gets his way.

Swann has confirmed Leppitsch will be contracted for 2017, with a view to being renewed at this time every year going forward.

The decision still has to be ratified by the Brisbane Lions board.

It is a similar scenario at Carlton with new coach Brendon Bolton agreeing to a rolling contract when he joined the club last year.

"We actually think he can coach, we're just going to extend him, and roll him over from here on in," Swann told Melbourne radio SEN.

"In our position, this one year will go forever," he said.
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ZoBlitz said:
Leppitsch set for rolling one-year deals, says Lions CEO
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I actually don't mind the idea of a rolling one year contract, which is similar to putting your head coach on staff in the same way you would with an assistant coach or a club doctor.

Without having heard the interview, I hope this is a misquote:

Swann has confirmed Leppitsch will be contracted for 2017, with a view to being renewed at this time every year going forward.
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That obviously won't work. If you get to the start of the season, and the coach's 'contract' hasn't been renewed beyond that year, then if that's the practice everyone knows the club is contemplating sacking him.

It's better to a bit more opaque about when and how you'll make that decision.
 
I'll counter hopium with instability. I fail to see why one is insufficient to count as a factor and the other isn't. To not see optimism and hope as positives is as dark and miserable as I can imagine. 16 clubs every year start the season along with hundreds of thousands of supporters and members full of both. It's intrinsically woven into the fabric of the game. To brush it away is as misguided as blind faith or pure distrust.

And then I'll counter the argument of changing coaches as being something to not be afraid of with Malthouse, Ratten, Eade... hell even hypocritical Thomas himself just to name a few who came with massive reputations and fell short.

Is the Leppa the messiah? No. Has he done enough to be shot at dawn. No.

The reality is, that he along with Rockliffe and Swann, have been put into positions that have taken time to adjust too. I'm sure Leppa himself would admit mistakes. No matter how ready he thought he was, he wasn't. Not fully.

It's clear his game plan has changed. It's clear he's made player positional changes. It's clear he set out to fill deficiencies in the list he identified and has gone a hell of a long way to filling them. To say he's shown no evidence of being able to coach overlooks his own personal changes, the team changes, the game changes and the changes within the walls of the club itself.

For anyone to argue we are worse off now than 2 years ago runs counter to countless posts telling us that our list was crap back then.

To sell short the relentless media hounding that would have ensued for the next 6-9 months and the argument that any loss was evidence he couldn't coach, would have been a mistake. It would have simply fed into the lazy, gutter sniping garbage the footy show and Barrett etal would dish up that Brisbane are still a basket case riddled with disunity and little hope. I could care less as a supporter... but as a 18-20 year old player deciding his future, that endless speculation would do little to inspire me. How long would someone like Rhys Mattheson stay around if he already had doubts?

This is best option with the least risk. The guy deserves a chance to see the seeds he planted at least break ground. Last year no one really got a chance to see what might have been. This year, after a settling in period for the new guys, and a very rough start to the draw, we might find ourselves towards the end of the season with enough evidence to finally know whether this decision is right or not.

But for me... hoipium or not, I see enough evidence both on and off the field to warrant that chance.
 
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Ironmonger said:
I actually don't mind the idea of a rolling one year contract, which is similar to putting your head coach on staff in the same way you would with an assistant coach or a club doctor.

Without having heard the interview, I hope this is a misquote:



That obviously won't work. If you get to the start of the season, and the coach's 'contract' hasn't been renewed beyond that year, then if that's the practice everyone knows the club is contemplating sacking him.

It's better to a bit more opaque about when and how you'll make that decision.
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I guess when they get to a point where they're considering sacking him, there would be good reason for him to be on notice, and every man and his dog would see that he's on thin ice. He would then be in no different position to now, had he not been extended.
 
POBT said:
<SNIP> My preference was always to give Leppa at least half the year to show us what he can do, particularly in terms of development - both of individual players and a shared team ethic. I don't think it is fair to judge him on the back of 2015 but nor do I think we can necessarily ignore what happened, particularly off field. Giving him 12 rounds or more to show some signs seems a prudent approach to me.<SNIP>
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Excuse the snip; I agree with the rest of the post.
I reckon it's fairly widely acknowledged by the media*, fans and the club, that the first half of this season will be very tough. Whilst we hope we can see some development, the win/loss thing could be ugly at that stage, and I'd be concerned about how an extension would be viewed then. Our own doubts may be stronger and unfairly, so may the Lions' board's.

*Whatever the media** says they think now, will be forgotten when they get a sniff of blood if we're travelling poorly.
**Not all media, but the usual types (who usually have the biggest mouth pieces.
 
LongLion said:
Grant Thomas.... What a flog

  1. Grant Thomas ‏@Thomo_Grant 12h12 hours agoMelbourne, Victoria
    If they have expected disastrous win/loss ratio they turf him. If ratio is palatable they support him going forward. Weak. Spineless.

    0 retweets3 likes

  2. Grant Thomas ‏@Thomo_Grant 12h12 hours agoMelbourne, Victoria
    Lions extending Leppitsch's contract by 1 year shows the type of gutless management within AFL. Clearly board/exec not prepared to back him
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Actually... I think the club IS supporting him - If one was to check the history of coaches with two years coaching and a win/loss ratio as low as Leppa's you would find the majority are given the flick. It is noted that the saints did give Richardson an extension until the end of 2018 last July - cannot be shagged checking but it would not surprise me if he also had a shot at the saints for that. Commentary, yeah I can make it too!
 

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Skoob said:
Excuse the snip; I agree with the rest of the post.
I reckon it's fairly widely acknowledged by the media*, fans and the club, that the first half of this season will be very tough. Whilst we hope we can see some development, the win/loss thing could be ugly at that stage, and I'd be concerned about how an extension would be viewed then. Our own doubts may be stronger and unfairly, so may the Lions' board's.
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I have a few issues with this though.

1. I really hope the club doesn't see the first part of the season as a lost cause. I liked Rocky's comments about surprising a few teams.

2. Letting the media dictate to you is a recipe for disaster.

3. The Board's responsibility is to take a long term view. If they don't trust themselves to be above the weekly ups and downs, then they should get out of the job.
 
POBT said:
I have a few issues with this though.

1. I really hope the club doesn't see the first part of the season as a lost cause. I liked Rocky's comments about surprising a few teams.

2. Letting the media dictate to you is a recipe for disaster.

3. The Board's responsibility is to take a long term view. If they don't trust themselves to be above the weekly ups and downs, then they should get out of the job.
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I don't know about seeing anything as "a lost cause", but maybe a bit more realistic than some of "us". There can be confidence, but the tougher the odds, the harder they are to beat.
I didn't mean to overplay the media thing, but the more (or louder) the criticism is, the harder it is to ignore.

Swann and Matthews is the sum of football experience on our board and while you'd hope this is a better board than the previous one, they wouldn't be the first to succumb to external pressures, or an appetite for more immediate results.
I think "the long term view" is what has lead to this extension, but also think it was easier to get past everyone now, than it might be, mid-season.
 
Let's be honest though, it doesn't matter if sign a coach to a 3 year deal or a 10 year deal. It's still a year by year deal..... Sanderson takes Adelaide to a Prelim one year and gets the sack 2 later. I think every coach knows results is the only way to guarentee a job for another year. I reckon this contract says to the entire football department that we demand results!!!
 
A very good move by the Lions to extend Leppitsch's contract. Personally I would have extended by two years to the end of 2018, which should be adequate time to advance the team's fortunes on the field and put to rest disruptive media speculation in the meantime. However at least Leppitsch has two full years in front of him to further stamp his style on the list.

Stability going forward is vital. It gives sponsors, players and supporters more confidence in the club. If Mayes and Rich re-sign in the wake of this announcement, then it further confirms their belief in Leppitsch's game plan and where the club is going. Schache extending his two year contract to the end of 2020 would also be a huge fillip for the club.
 
POBT said:
I have a few issues with this though.

1. I really hope the club doesn't see the first part of the season as a lost cause. I liked Rocky's comments about surprising a few teams.

2. Letting the media dictate to you is a recipe for disaster.

3. The Board's responsibility is to take a long term view. If they don't trust themselves to be above the weekly ups and downs, then they should get out of the job.
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I hope you don't mid POBT but I just wanted to reply to your post too... it's good to have to reason our your beliefs as times :)

1. I really hope the same about the first part of the season. I hope everyone who pulls on a Lions jumper goes out with a belief they can win.. and I genuinely think that's the case - this year seemingly more so than last. But when you add the likely inclusion of Bastinac, Bell, Walker, possibly 1 or 2 more, plus the repositioning of McStay, Rich etc, there will just have to be a period where we'll play footy at less than our best. Nastily it coincides with a bloody awful draw. Realistically I don't see the results of the early part of the season being "fair" to use as evidence if its based purely on win/loss as some are want to do.

2. And I agree about the media too. But theres so much history of clubs, governments, schools, hospitals etc folding under the pressure of media scrutiny time after time after time. While there are always 2 sides to every story, a club struggling financially, surving by the generosity of others, in enemy territory has an added pressure to present nothing but good news. Lose and its bad enough. Speculate about the coach and its worse. The Voss saga should have taught us a thing or too by now. And like I said ealrier... its actually the players I worry about more than us when it comes down to it.

3. Personally I had wished for a 2 or 3 year deal. It would have signaled faith and confidence. The rolling idea tries to but falls short for me. The reality is that a contract is worth nothing if things are going south and have turned sour. A long contract would have been torn up just as easily as a short.
 
WA Lion said:
I think the issue is though that fans are so passionate about their club, that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between these 2, and one persons faith is another persons support depending on perspective and personal perspective. A very emotive issue
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Very very true... I just get frustrated with the glass half full approach. We have recuited well, we have a new gym, we have a academy starting to reap rewards, and we have Lambert and Austin doing there thing too. Lets just give it a chance is what I am saying.
 
Doesn't a rolling one year contract mean whenever he gets sacked he just gets paid out 12 months rather than from the date of the renewal?
 
Roylion said:
A very good move by the Lions to extend Leppitsch's contract. Personally I would have extended by two years to the end of 2018, which should be adequate time to advance the team's fortunes on the field and put to rest disruptive media speculation in the meantime. However at least Leppitsch has two full years in front of him to further stamp his style on the list.

Stability going forward is vital. It gives sponsors, players and supporters more confidence in the club. If Mayes and Rich re-sign in the wake of this announcement, then it further confirms their belief in Leppitsch's game plan and where the club is going. Schache extending his two year contract to the end of 2020 would also be a huge fillip for the club.
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It works the other way as well though.

If you sign the wrong guy and the club shows no progress in the next 2 seasons then when you sack him the damage is compounded because you've just wasted another two seasons. As a frontier club, if Brisbane are in the same position in two years as they are now it's a catastrophe. A hell of a risk to take on a coach who was so far done little to justify his appointment.

What they should of done is given a commitment to him that they will re-sign him at the end of the season providing the team has shown signs of improvement. This isn't an overly difficult objective given it's highly unlikely that they have the same run of injuries as 2015 and that there is still a decent level of talent on the list.

If Leppisch can't get improvements in 2016 with this list then by the end of the season there is a pretty compelling case that can be made to sponsors/supporter base for moving him on which would mitigate the instability that would normally accompany the removal of a coach. It would also be the least damaging way of moving on a club legend as coach - firing them mid contract is never fun and polarizes the supporter base.
 
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Skoob said:
Excuse the snip; I agree with the rest of the post.
I reckon it's fairly widely acknowledged by the media*, fans and the club, that the first half of this season will be very tough. Whilst we hope we can see some development, the win/loss thing could be ugly at that stage, and I'd be concerned about how an extension would be viewed then. Our own doubts may be stronger and unfairly, so may the Lions' board's.

*Whatever the media** says they think now, will be forgotten when they get a sniff of blood if we're travelling poorly.
**Not all media, but the usual types (who usually have the biggest mouth pieces.
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I see this year extension as a positive and also a concession.

Yes the start of the year will be tough and if we do go 1-7 or hell 0-8 and Leppa was not extended the media howl would be deafening, which in turn riles up the supporters. So the management have cut that off by extending for a year and saying play the team you want to play.

The concession is that this is going to be a tough year and management want us to play the kids (though with the age profile they have little choice anyway). The extension takes the pressure off Leppa to coach for his job and coach for 2017 when realistically we might start to make waves. IE develop the kids (which is different to just playing them).
 
Schraderbrau said:
It works the other way as well though.

If you sign the wrong guy and the club shows no progress in the next 2 seasons then when you sack him the damage is compounded because you've just wasted another two seasons.
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Yeah, but Buckley might still turn it around.
 
Schraderbrau said:
It works the other way as well though.

If you sign the wrong guy and the club shows no progress in the next 2 seasons then when you sack him the damage is compounded because you've just wasted another two seasons. As a frontier club, if Brisbane are in the same position in two years as they are now it's a catastrophe. A hell of a risk to take on a coach who was so far done little to justify his appointment (it was a strange appointment in the first place given his limited experience imo).

What they should of done is given a commitment to him that they will re-sign him at the end of the season providing the team has shown signs of improvement. This isn't an overly difficult objective given it's highly unlikely that they have the same run of injuries as 2015 and that there is still a decent level of talent on the list.

If Leppisch can't get improvements in 2016 with this list then by the end of the season there is a pretty compelling case that can be made to sponsors/supporter base for moving him on which would mitigate the instability that would normally accompany the removal of a coach. It would also be the least damaging way of moving on a club legend as coach - firing them mid contract is never fun and polarizes the supporter base.
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I heard that if you don't offer a coach a new contract he can sue you for restraint of trade.
 
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