Analysis Is Leppa the Right Man for the Job?

[Kent Brockman]

I'm very interested to gauge this from a fan's perspective. There has been a lot of Leppa bashing going on, but is that the majority of fans or the very vocal minority? Let's see.

 

[Schache It Off]

Honestly, if we lose Mayes/Paparone/Rich he has to go.

 

[lionshine]

I have backed him from day 1 and I have been trying to stick with him through these tough times but I must admit I am starting to have some doubts as of late. The club is in a mess at the moment and it is Leppa's second year. By the end of next year he will have coached us for 66 games. We won 7 games last year and we are likely to only remain on the 3 wins this year. That is a total of 10 wins over two years. If we win 6 or less games next year you simply can't keep a coach who has won 11-16 games out of a possible 66. Next year we will have to show significant improvement.

 

[cotter101]

I've always stuck by him despite some doubts from early this season. We're going to lose Adcock, Redden, Leuenberger and Aish is one big hit. If Mayes, Paparone or someone else leaves, then he simply has to go and re need to re-evaluate everything(again).

 

[Fitz Roy]

Is there a better man for the job?

 

[cotter101]

Is there any other man who'd even take the job on?

 

[Kent Brockman]

Is there a better man for the job?

I'm not necessarily against Leppa, but Ratten looks appealing after his work at Hawthorn.

 

[Davemonkey]

I'm not necessarily against Leppa, but Ratten looks appealing after his work at Hawthorn.

Rattan is the only other Assistant that appeals to me, but I have to back Leppa for another year even though I am now firmly in the 'dunno' camp.

 

[Big Lion]

Back him in, maybe we are clearing the dead wood for happier days ahead. Support him and the club.

The players at the Tigers loved him so why don't some of our boys. Maybe that says more about the ones wanting to leave rather than it being a bad reflection on our coach, i dunno but i think you have to give Leppa a chance.

 

[Flea_29]

I think we need to let the dust settle and see how things pan out in Oct/Nov. I have no doubt that come Nov (after the draft), that we:
- will have more Qlders on our list
- will have Craig Lambert (this will be confirmed in the next week or two) on board
- will acquire players (via trades) that want to be here long-term.

It should be noted that it will be the players that have come on board during Leppa's reign that will be the core to our next finals campaign.
Gardiner, McStay, Cutler, Freeman, Robertson, Taylor, Dawson, Andrews, Beams, Robinson, Christensen.
Could add:-
- Aish's replacement and/or draft pick
- Berger's replacement and/or draft pick
- Redden's replacement and/or draft pick
- Keays, Hipwood & Allison and possibly 1 or 2 others
Add Hanley, Rocky, Rich, Green, Zorko, Martin, Mayes & one or two others and you could see some light.

 

[Elixuh]

If you're talking wins/losses then he has seemingly underperformed. But if you consider a young list + significant list turnover (go home 5, delistings, retirements and trades) + the horrendous injury run + internal off-field issues + apparent lack of support and funding within coaching/development then you could temper expectations to a realistic level.

If you're talking losing players then in this setting its tough to work on anything other than what you know. In 2014 we only lost Crisp and Patfull, getting Beams and Bundy in return (so positive there).

Jonathan Brown (ret)
Jack Crisp (trd)
Isaac Conway (del)
Nick Hayes (del)
Jordan Lisle (del)
Ash McGrath (ret)
Sam Michael (del)
Brent Moloney (ret)
Joel Patfull (trd)
James Polkinghorne (del)
Andrew Raines (del)
Patrick Weardon (del)

We've got a few retirements this year. We've now also lost Redden and Adcock both of which seem to be mutual decisions (if not orchestrated by the club). So I don't think thats comparable to any of the go home 5 players.

Leuey is a tough one to analyse. Has had a horrendous run with injury and is now competing for a spot with Martin (who is ahead of him) so its probably no surprise that he's off if another suiter has offered him decent coin.

They said on 360 tonight the Lions have known Aish would leave since they drafted him...whether or not thats true...from what i've heard the club has known he's gone and have been making plans since before xmas. So you can put that down to a drafting stuff up by us or the northern frontier factor w/e. I suppose you could also argue we didn't do enough to make him want to stay.

If we get players like Rich/Mayes/Zorko/Hanley/McStay/Green/Robertson etc leaving and we see no improvement next year then his cards might be marked. But until then, with what we know in this moment, I reckon he's the right man to take us forward.

 

[Davemonkey]

The clearing of the decks is bIg and I have to confess to some nervousness now, which accounts for my shift in confidence in Leppa. Redden is disappointing but I understand the mutual benefit to club and player for moving on. I also do think that the Paps and Mayes talk is just BF noise as we have heard nothing leading up to this.
I'm still not sure but I am willing to see out next year.

 

[James North]

Isn't this already 3 other threads?

 

[Jman78]

He's good for the club I think. I want him to stay as he makes the tough calls.... all good coaches have fire in them, and I like the fact he stands up for and against the players when needed.

 

[Skoob]

Isn't this already 3 other threads?

So depressing we needed a second positives thread.

 

[Davemonkey]

But there's a poll.

 

[Elixuh]

Isn't this already 3 other threads?

I think its a nice clean, clear and defined topic from the OP. Probably deserves its own standalone thread (albeit it could fit into a few others) given the past few days.

 

[Kevvo]

If you're talking wins/losses then he has seemingly underperformed. But if you consider a young list + significant list turnover (go home 5, delistings, retirements and trades) + the horrendous injury run + internal off-field issues + apparent lack of support and funding within coaching/development then you could temper expectations to a realistic level.

If you're talking losing players then in this setting its tough to work on anything other than what you know. In 2014 we only lost Crisp and Patfull, getting Beams and Bundy in return (so positive there).

Jonathan Brown (ret)
Jack Crisp (trd)
Isaac Conway (del)
Nick Hayes (del)
Jordan Lisle (del)
Ash McGrath (ret)
Sam Michael (del)
Brent Moloney (ret)
Joel Patfull (trd)
James Polkinghorne (del)
Andrew Raines (del)
Patrick Weardon (del)

We've got a few retirements this year. We've now also lost Redden and Adcock both of which seem to be mutual decisions (if not orchestrated by the club). So I don't think thats comparable to any of the go home 5 players.

Leuey is a tough one to analyse. Has had a horrendous run with injury and is now competing for a spot with Martin (who is ahead of him) so its probably no surprise that he's off if another suiter has offered him decent coin.

They said on 360 tonight the Lions have known Aish would leave since they drafted him...whether or not thats true...from what i've heard the club has known he's gone and have been making plans since before xmas. So you can put that down to a drafting stuff up by us or the northern frontier factor w/e. I suppose you could also argue we didn't do enough to make him want to stay.

If we get players like Rich/Mayes/Zorko/Hanley/McStay/Green/Robertson etc leaving and we see no improvement next year then his cards might be marked. But until then, with what we know in this moment, I reckon he's the right man to take us forward.

I think this is a really good summary. I'd only add that Robbo is worth mentioning with the other two senior recruitments. He doesn't have the pedigree of Beams or Bundy, but I love what he adds to the group from a playing and personality perspective. Even with the players we know are leaving, I feel we're still at a net positive for recruitment during Leppa's tenure.

I'm also strongly of the view that our injuries combined with our list demographics made this year a nearly impossible job. Maybe with a different approach we might've cut our losses and won 5 or 6 games, but I can see a valid argument for persisting with the kids and the game plan to show faith in them and it. It may not have paid off yet, but if it does start to click then Leppa will gain a huge amount of credibility with the young group for standing by it and them. I think it is a reasonable calculated risk.

That said, if some of those important kids or other core players were to move, his tenure might be unsalvageable.

 

[snooplions]

Outside of Aish, I think as long as the boys from the 2013 draft stay then I'm happy with Leppa coaching us long term. He does need assistance though from the afl and better coaching staff. But as soon as Cutler, Robertson, McStay etc start leaving then I'm not sure id have it in me to watch us play for a while let alone support Leppitsch.

 

[western royboy]

Is there a better man for the job?

There was a bloke from Nazareth that was a very good communicator - but he to eventually got sacked

 

[ZoBlitz]

I think its a nice clean, clear and defined topic from the OP. Probably deserves its own standalone thread (albeit it could fit into a few others) given the past few days.

And as Davemonkey says, it does have a new poll!

 

[Elixuh]

And as Davemonkey says, it does have a new poll!

To be fair I was about to delete the thread and permanently ban Kent Brockman . But then I saw the glorious poll.

 

[Football Pope]

There was a bloke from Nazareth that was a very good communicator - but he to eventually got sacked

Yeah,...Easter weekend.... nailed it Good Friday.....Rose right to the top Sunday...

 

[Kent Brockman]

To be fair I was about to delete the thread and permanently ban Kent Brockman . But then I saw the glorious poll.

Permanent ban... RIP

Thank god for the glorious poll!

 

[pulpdriver]

Permanent ban... RIP

Thank god for the glorious poll!