Strategy Brisbane Lions Coaching and Staff Thread

[Hysteria25]

Does anyone else remember Round 1 last year against Hawthorn? I actually think we played really well then, if we had have delivered the same performance in Round 1 this year we would have won easily I think.

 

[lionbear]

At the moment Leppa is trying to put Lipstick on a pig that needs a knee reconstruction.

But with free agency and players getting homesick more and more, are we ever going to be a true contender again?

We can question Leppa all we want, but I don't know anyone out there who could do a job as good or better than him.

 

[Fatcat08]

It's the coaches fault if the players don't follow or stick to the game plan.

Ever done something you were told not to do? Was it all the other persons fault? If you answer yes to both questions then I don't think we can help you.

Blame very rarely just lies with one party.

 

[Hysteria25]

Ever done something you were told not to do? Was it all the other persons fault? If you answer yes to both questions then I don't think we can help you.

Blame very rarely just lies with one party.

I honestly think that in this case, it's the coaches fault. Look at the difference Ken Hinkley made to Port Adelaide. The player's psychology didn't randomly change, it was to do with the respect and trust that Ken Hinkley demanded from his players. Is it possible that our players are a bit to 'matesy' with Leppa and as a result, not feeling the pressure to follow a game-plan? I'm not sure, but it is certainly a possibility.

 

[Quigley]

I generally agree with the performance sentiment of individuals, Quigs, but I'm willing to give Leppa more than a couple of seasons to get his message across, considering the state that the club and the list was prior to his arrival.

Let's say he spent the first year getting things right off the field - things "feel better" and we're "happier". That might take another 12 months to translate into trust, confidence and sheer will on the field.

He's coached 20-something games and taken on what was objectively the toughest coaching gig in the AFL.

Where I also struggle to put blame on Leppa (even in part) is that I don't know what kind of incredible super coach exists to take us from where we were at the start of 2014 to where we want to be.

What if the problem isn't technical, training, or skills related. What if it's all psychological? Does that take less or more time than technical problems?

I think it's important to remember that it's also not Leppa's fault that we've sucked for the last 10 years.

For all Voss' faults, with less support than Leppa has and more incompentants to report to he still managed to win 10 games in each of the two years prior to getting fired. He might not have been best buds with the players the way Leppa is portrayed but the results he delivered were a lot better with essentially the same core group.

Port turned it around very quickly with the right coaching team. They looked worse than us so I am not letting them off the hook. Whether the issues are physical or psychological it remains the coaches job to overcome. On the psych issues it is often the case that a new coach has the best opportunity to fix it. Clean slate approach and just the optimism that comes with that.

 

[jackess]

Does anyone else remember Round 1 last year against Hawthorn? I actually think we played really well then, if we had have delivered the same performance in Round 1 this year we would have won easily I think.

It did help that Brown kicked 4 (IIRC) playing on Cheney.

 

[James North]

For all Voss' faults, with less support than Leppa has and more incompentants to report to he still managed to win 10 games in each of the two years prior to getting fired. He might not have been best buds with the players the way Leppa is portrayed but the results he delivered were a lot better with essentially the same core group.

Port turned it around very quickly with the right coaching team. They looked worse than us so I am not letting them off the hook. Whether the issues are physical or psychological it remains the coaches job to overcome. On the psych issues it is often the case that a new coach has the best opportunity to fix it. Clean slate approach and just the optimism that comes with that.

Yeah I agree it's the coaching team's job to get the team right psychologically or physically.

I'm just willing to give him more time than a season and a bit (particularly considering our injuries and list holes).

This Hinkley argument is a bit of a weak one, I think - that was a spectacular turnaround of the whole club and Hinkley is the top 1% in terms of a coach's ability to immediately influence. Impossible to expect the same thing to happen for some time yet.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Yeah I agree it's the coaching team's job to get the team right psychologically or physically.

I'm just willing to give him more time than a season and a bit (particularly considering our injuries and list holes).

This Hinkley argument is a bit of a weak one, I think - that was a spectacular turnaround of the whole club and Hinkley is the top 1% in terms of a coach's ability to immediately influence. Impossible to expect the same thing to happen for some time yet.

I don't like the Port example simply for the abundance of high draft picks on their list, plus the imports they were able to get. If anything they were underachieving which made their rise look slightly better than it was (not that is wasn't spectacular, I just think their base wasn't as low as it appeared beforehand).

 

[James North]

I don't like the Port example simply for the abundance of high draft picks on their list, plus the imports they were able to get. If anything they were underachieving which made their rise look slightly better than it was (not that is wasn't spectacular, I just think their base wasn't as low as it appeared beforehand).

Yeah, LH, I was actually going to go down that path too - underperforming prior to Hinkley (hence change of coach).

Managed to hang on to many of those high picks ... if only.

 

[Quigley]

One of the issues I have is that I think we are underperforming as well and a good coach should be getting more out of this group. Now that could happen for Leppa and I am not writing him off. What I am saying is that the pressure needs to start being applied and the team needs to start playing better for him.

 

[T Factor]

One of the issues I have is that I think we are underperforming as well and a good coach should be getting more out of this group. Now that could happen for Leppa and I am not writing him off. What I am saying is that the pressure needs to start being applied and the team needs to start playing better for him.

We also seem to have a real list balance issue. I think Leppa has tried to squeeze quite a few young guys into defence and up forward due to lack of options. It just hasn't worked at all. I would like to see more changes made during a game when things are not working. Lester was getting better as an inside mid but is lost in defence. I am not sure why Adcock is not going back when we need a solid defender and some experience. Paparone has also been terrible in defence but looks better on a wing. I am as disappointed as most here with the way we are playing, it was a bit better on the weekend but we really are the worst team in the comp at the moment. The pressure should be on Leppa in his second year for that alone.

 

[Skoob]

Getting the best out of a group, equally depends on the group, as it does the coach.
The Port example is flawed, simply because we are not the same playing group.
Worsfold took the Eagles from last, to 4th in 2011, but he also took them from 11th to last in 2010. Lists change and players play differently.

If we had a stellar list, complete with the right mix of experience, a good forward line and solid back line, then 2 years might be enough time to make or break, but with our list, 2 years will tell us very little.

 

[lions27]

Yeah our list is a shambles missing what could have been 5 4th year or more players hurts, maybe more than I'd initially thought it would. I think the excitement with how our first years players performed glossed over the fact that we have massive holes.
I hate seeing Turnover king Robbo out there but the reality is we need some bigger bodies and a bit of mongrel

 

[MacMum]

We have some major outs due to injury....so can understand players being put in positions they are not really comfortable with. Not a lot of choice.

....and when out of one's comfort zone, it is so easy to fumble and stuff up.

I'm not ready to hang and quarter Leppa just yet ......but he does need to analyse his game plan to see if it really is the right one, and if he is happy with the way he is coaching then he must stick with it I guess.....the end of year results will say whether he is right or not...

. I'm very happy with our list (except for Robinson) just need to add a Defender (Rance?) and a tall Forward. No more mids.

I do wonder though, why there seems to be so many injuries.

 

[The Golfing Lion]

I would like to know if the style of message given by the coaches is changing. I think actually. Leppa was the irght man at that time with his style of engagement to the players changing the flow out of the club (apart from Aish).

And I was a voss supporter and was shocked he was sacked.

However improvement comes from within. The players need to want to improve. It is by nature as a professional player they do. Leppa and his coaching staff has to bind this into one. That is his great challenge. At the moment this season they seem to be playing as individuals. It is not surprising in a way that there is injuries plus 4 new players into the 22 that there is some hesitation.

We lack leadership. We seem to be a quiet group and Leppa needs to be hardest at the leadership group. They need to demand effort, defensive running, one percenters. They need to be in charge on the field all match, lead by example is great but we also need to be led by voice. Leppa has to demand his leaders lead.

 

[brizrider]

Too early to blame Leppitsch IMO. Hard to tell what happens behind the scenes but he has struck me as an excellent communicator with a deep knowledge of the game. You'd have to say that (last year at least) Rockliff, Hanley and maybe Martin were playing the best footy of their careers and that's one important point to judge a coach on apart from W v L.
I reckon one risk he has longer-term is becoming a kind of Eddie Jones (rugby) of the AFL who was considered brilliant by insiders but who sort of never really got the cattle and then was seen externally as too complicated and not hard enough on the players. To be honest if I was Leppitsch I'd be scanning better resourced clubs via my manager. Carlton and maybe Freo are rumoured to be on the market in time for his contract to come up.

 

[jackess]

There really is nothing Leppa can say to give me any optimism for the direction our team is heading.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...-defensive-style/story-fnia3y5g-1227312567789

 

[bato]

In Leppa we trust.

 

[winged1]

For all Voss' faults, with less support than Leppa has and more incompentants to report to he still managed to win 10 games in each of the two years prior to getting fired. He might not have been best buds with the players the way Leppa is portrayed but the results he delivered were a lot better with essentially the same core group.

Port turned it around very quickly with the right coaching team. They looked worse than us so I am not letting them off the hook. Whether the issues are physical or psychological it remains the coaches job to overcome. On the psych issues it is often the case that a new coach has the best opportunity to fix it. Clean slate approach and just the optimism that comes with that.

Not underselling what Voss did, but he did still have Brown to kick a few and essentially manage the forward line from on the field. That lack of experience and leadership has hurt us. Just as Rocky and Merrett out and no Patfull has hurt us.

I dont agree with the Port analogy simply because I think they had a good list that was underperforming and had experience through all of the lines. What Hinkley did last year was pretty spectacular though.

 

[winged1]

It's the coaches fault if the players don't follow or stick to the game plan.

In life there are always different ways of looking at the truth. There is my truth, your truth and the real truth lies somewhere in the middle of both of those views.

The players and especially the senior players (being the 23-26 year olds) need to have a good look at themselves. We have an odd list age structure that there are few established older players consistently in the team (ruling out McGuane, Staker, West and Maguire who are not regulars). The only ones are Adcock (who has gone well IMO) and Merrett (who hasnt been there).

We are a quick side and with a lack of key forwards our only realistic hope is a run and gun style to try and move the ball quickly, I think we have been let down on four fronts:

1) The Zorko, Beams, Leuey, Bewick, Lester, Robinson, Christensen, Green have not been consistent within games and frankly a few of these guys have been poor. A couple are already out of the team and others may be if they werent the big name imports or if there was some more compelling options.

2) Selection seems odd, I understand they were trying to teach Taylor a lesson, but why have your best runner sitting on the bench when we are forced to that game plan. Other things with players out of position etc. Not selecting Close round one.

3) There is often a let down in the second year of footy, it happens to many players but they usually have a lot of experienced players around them. Last week we had two first years, a good portion of the team second years and a number of third year players. its a young side there is no getting around it and they may not be up to executing the game plan. But there is no shying away that Taylor, Aish, Gardiner, Mayes are down on where they were last year.

4) Freeman, Close, Hanley, Rocky, Merrett, Harwood, West (as an option) all being out take out our two key forwards and an option for key forward, our main KP back, a hard running back and our midfield generals. Things will improve once these guys start coming back.

You can have the best battle plan there is, if you dont have the troops or they dont have enough fight in them it means nothing.

 

[Tairy Greene]

It did help that Brown kicked 4 (IIRC) playing on Cheney.

Yes, it certainly does help when your key forward kicks goals!

 

[Pacman82]

It helps when members of our leadership group are fit, healthy & running around the field too!

 

[Wounded Lion]

At the moment Leppa is trying to put Lipstick on a pig that needs a knee reconstruction.

McGuane?

 

[chopperduck]

One of the issues I have is that I think we are underperforming as well and a good coach should be getting more out of this group. Now that could happen for Leppa and I am not writing him off. What I am saying is that the pressure needs to start being applied and the team needs to start playing better for him.

Think it needs to happen at the end of the season, not now. Many list changes, key injuries etc. Last season was great to start with, but overall it was a pass. Think we will come good, we just rely too much on too few at the minute.

 

[matwt73]

I think Leppa is a great person to have at the helm when things are tough. I think he is clear, straight downt he line, fair and realisitc, and i assume he brings that to the players too. Nobody needs a coach pissing in their pocket at this stage.

I also think he is smarter than many give him credit for and will turn into a good/ very good coach. We will see that within the next 18 months. He has an exciting game plan that we are unable to execute due to youth, skills and pressure.

I think he (and the club) have made two recruiting mistakes, in bringing in McGuane and Mitch. I suespect that after the GH5, the club got so excited about having players who wanted to come to brisbane that they brought in c graders who do nothing to improve our list profile.

Against richmond we showed an ok effort for three quarters and then got pantsed. That is going to happen when we don't have a forward line. As a back or midfielder, it is very hard to keep putting your head over the ball, if all the work in the world is only getting two goals a quarter (and at the moment, we are a two goal a quarter team.) I am not surprised the effort drops in the last quarter, to be honest i had given up long before the team did last week.