Leppa's third year.

[JasperBeardly]

That's the scariest thing about all of this. There's still 2 months for players to reassess their situation and future. I suspect that we're going to lose more players if stick with Leppa.

If you want to look at it from a half-full standpoint, it also gives the Lamberts (if they are coming) almost 2 months to come in and make an impact on the playing group before the trade period?

Though I guess that possibility will be limited by player absences from the club with end of season trips, holidays etc.

 

[Bucking Beads]

 

[Cockliff38]

This is a theory I've been toying with for a while that I thought I'd share.

Could it be possible our key movers off the field (Leppa, Swann, Matthews) are blinded by what were once successful methods but now are out-dated with our Gen-Y prominent list? We know Leppa comes from the old school, hard-line approach - influenced by Matthews and evident through what we've heard in the media in recent times and the Zac O'Brien incident earlier this year. As mentioned previously, the current generation needs "cuddling" and a more "softly-softly" approach. Leppa's style of coaching obviously has upset a few who can't handle some home truths. From what I understand, in the Matthews era we had Lambert who would be "the shoulder to cry on" after players were given a spray by Lethal. The impending return of Lambert should help here but the other question worth asking is why aren't other clubs suffering player exodus like we are? I put this down to a lack of leadership and the amount of senior players on our list. Especially with the loss of Adcock. You look at Hawthorn and they've got the likes of Hodge/Mitchell/Birchall running around directing traffic and implementing the game plan on the field but also providing an example off it with their attitude and professionalism. You can bet Clarkson would occasionally make an example of one of the aforementioned players or another senior member like Lewis/Roughead/Lake just to emphasis to the kids what it takes to cut it in the AFL.

 

[Experimental]

I don't believe that being a confrontational coach makes players wants to leave. They'll get the exact same treatment from any other coach if they don't perform to the coach's standard. But if that standard isn't possible, or the development isn't sound, the players are going to get sick and tired of being sprayed for a poor game plan out of their control.

Players accepted sprays from Lethal when they were moving up the ladder. They're not going to accept sprays and threats from Leppa when they've gone down hill each year he's been at the helm, with the wooden spoon more or less cemented with nothing to show for the season. It says a lot when the only players performing well this year are ones who have come from other clubs - Bundy, Beama, and Robbo. Or even Harris Andrews, who is completely new.

Albeit a different situation, a similar thing happened at the Suns. McKenna was sacked and the following season the rookies and new draftees outperformed almost every other 5+ year player.

Perhaps the issue isn't Leppa's personality, but merely his coaching ability.

 

[dlanod]

It says a lot when the only players performing well this year are ones who have come from other clubs - Bundy, Beama, and Robbo. Or even Harris Andrews, who is completely new.

I feel like you're selling Rocky, Martin, Clarke and Merrett (when fit) short.

 

[Experimental]

I feel like you're selling Rocky, Martin, Clarke and Merrett (when fit) short.

Yep, I definitely am - thanks for picking that up. The four you've mentioned have been great performers, but in my opinion the standouts for this year are the three I mentioned earlier. Rocky never fails to impress though!

 

[lukiuslion]

While some players have not improved others have. I think Leppa is shaking the tree harder this year and it seems like some players aren't keen on that. I think we have a game plan moving forward but it will take time to implement. No doubt we have under performed this year. At the end of the day what can we expect from the youngest list in the comp with the least amount of top end talent?

I don't think players would mind him setting standards and him shaking the tree, that's not why people leave footy clubs - they leave or become disenchanted when they lose respect for their coach and the direction the club is heading (unless its for personal reason, or an amicable departure of coarse)

What would I expect, given the back half of last year and our midfield?

- 6-7 wins
- generally competitve exciting football, al be it with the occasional flogging given injury and age
- a marked improvement in 75% of players
- Rich, Redden, Zorko to be pushing for A grtade status , at least one of the now an A -grader
- patches of footy where a clear and evident game plan is executed really smoothly
- an average losing margin of under 30- points
- Most players looking and competeing in a way in which suggests they are happy and commited
- Paperone, Mayes etc to be advancing on last year
- no more than 2 players looking elsewhere or rumoured to be doing so at the end of the year

What has delievered

- Our 3 recruits
- harris andrews

I challange you to find another 2-3 positives?

As mentioned, I am cool to stay the course, but I find it hard to sit around with rose coloured glasses summizing this is to be expected and all part of the plan... though, as I've said before, I might try it - I would probley enjoy life a lot more.

For the record - I am all for him getting a third year, but I can't say I buy this 'all part of the plan' stuff, thats why I am persisting with this point. Alarm bells are steadily ringing in my ears.

 

[Zealbee]

I don't think players would mind him setting standards and him shaking the tree, that's not why people leave footy clubs - they leave or become disenchanted when they lose respect for their coach and the direction the club is heading (unless its for personal reason, or an amicable departure of coarse)

What would I expect, given the back half of last year and our midfield?

- 6-7 wins
- generally competitve exciting football, al be it with the occasional flogging given injury and age
- a marked improvement in 75% of players
- Rich, Redden, Zorko to be pushing for A grtade status , at least one of the now an A -grader
- patches of footy where a clear and evident game plan is executed really smoothly
- an average losing margin of under 30- points
- Most players looking and competeing in a way in which suggests they are happy and commited
- Paperone, Mayes etc to be advancing on last year
- no more than 2 players looking elsewhere or rumoured to be doing so at the end of the year

What has delievered

- Our 3 recruits
- harris andrews

I challange you to find another 2-3 positives?

As mentioned, I am cool to stay the course, but I find it hard to sit around with rose coloured glasses summizing this is to be expected and all part of the plan... though, as I've said before, I might try it - I would probley enjoy life a lot more.

For the record - I am all for him getting a third year, but I can't say I buy this 'all part of the plan' stuff, thats why I am persisting with this point. Alarm bells are steadily ringing in my ears.

I think you are casually ignoring the massive injury list the Lions had to deal with all year. Would be extremely difficult for a good team with lots of depth but was exacerbated at the Lions because there isn't any depth.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I don't think players would mind him setting standards and hsaking the tree, that's not why people leave footy clubs - they leave or become disenchanted when they lose respect for their coach and the direction the club is heading (unless its for personal reason, or an amicable departure of coarse)

What would I expect, given the back half of last year and our midfield?

- 6-7 wins
- generally competitve exciting football, al be it with the occasional flogging given injury and age
- a marked improvement in 75% of players
- Rich, Redden, Zorko to be pushing for A grtade status , at least one of the now an A -grader
- patches of footy where a clear and evident game plan is executed really smoothly
- an average losing margin of under 30- points
- Most players looking and competeing in a way in which suggests they are happy and commited
- Paperone, Mayes etc to be advancing on last year
- no more than 2 players looking elsewhere or rumoured to be doing so at the end of the year

What has delievered

- Our 3 recruits
- harris andrews

I challange you to find another 2-3 positives?

As mentioned, I am cool to stay the course, but I find it hard to sit around with rose coloured glasses summizing this is to be expected and all part of the plan... though, as I've said before, I might try it - I would probley enjoy life a lot more.

You just can't discount the amount of injuries we had. Rich was coming back from an ACL. Rocky was injured alot. Zorko was ordinary but improved of late. Reddo was ordinary but improved after having a few weeks off with injury. Do you really think Paparone hasn't advanced on last year? Mayes is another that has been injured but has come on again in the last month. There is no denying we have been ordinary but I don't think we have been as bad as it looks. We were competitive against Saints, Crows and Sydney at home and Freo away. There has been several shocking performances as well. As far as I am concerned this season is a complete cluster **** of injuries that crippled us.

 

[ColdWarWarrior]

I think there is another factor here that has not been mentioned, and that is the fact that there is no prospect of playing finals let alone a premiership in the short to medium term. This is a major factor when talking about player retention.
You can't tell me there is no tensions within the group at clubs like Hawthorne, Sydney, Freo? because they are in contention players there can put minor differences aside, a spray from the coach, a damaged ego etc, because the the big trophy is in sight. This keeps playing groups together wheras at struggling clubs there is nothing but years of hard toil, countless drubbings and constant rebuilds, that would have to sap your motivation.

 

[davemc_lions]

I mentioned on other thread we are the 4-5 years away and if your mid 20's thats near the end of your career.
And we been 4-5 years away and rebuilding ever since the Fev crap

 

[dlanod]

I mentioned on other thread we are the 4-5 years away and if your mid 20's thats near the end of your career.
And we been 4-5 years away and rebuilding ever since the Fev crap

Since prior to the Fev crap IMO - that off-season was an attempt to rebuild the team with experienced recruits.

 

[jackess]

Since prior to the Fev crap IMO - that off-season was an attempt to rebuild the team with experienced recruits.

Apart from the Fev trade; Voss was trying to correct a hole in the age/experience breakdown of our list. Interesting to see that thanks in part to the GH5; we are again in need of something similar. We seem to be doing this with a longer term view by hitting the drafts hard so the next generation doesn't have the same age/experience gap.

I would love the club to go out and recruit a mature KPP capable at both ends (Staker), a couple of hard workers to set training standards (Clarke and Raines) and a solid contributor from a successful club (Buchanan).

 

[notliondown]

Is hitting the drafts hard and filling an experienced/age gap mutually exclusive?

Seems we've all heard the bad news and who's leaving but who do the club have in their sights to bring in through both youth and age/experience either through the draft or trades that we don't know about or aren't being speculated about?

I'm pretty sure this whole issue isn't just a one way street. There's a hell of a long way to go before things shake out and we actually see who and what we end up with.

 

[carnthemlions]

I don't think players would mind him setting standards and him shaking the tree, that's not why people leave footy clubs - they leave or become disenchanted when they lose respect for their coach and the direction the club is heading (unless its for personal reason, or an amicable departure of coarse)

What would I expect, given the back half of last year and our midfield?

- 6-7 wins
- generally competitve exciting football, al be it with the occasional flogging given injury and age
- a marked improvement in 75% of players
- Rich, Redden, Zorko to be pushing for A grtade status , at least one of the now an A -grader
- patches of footy where a clear and evident game plan is executed really smoothly
- an average losing margin of under 30- points
- Most players looking and competeing in a way in which suggests they are happy and commited
- Paperone, Mayes etc to be advancing on last year
- no more than 2 players looking elsewhere or rumoured to be doing so at the end of the year

What has delievered

- Our 3 recruits
- harris andrews

I challange you to find another 2-3 positives?

As mentioned, I am cool to stay the course, but I find it hard to sit around with rose coloured glasses summizing this is to be expected and all part of the plan... though, as I've said before, I might try it - I would probley enjoy life a lot more.

For the record - I am all for him getting a third year, but I can't say I buy this 'all part of the plan' stuff, thats why I am persisting with this point. Alarm bells are steadily ringing in my ears.

You might've wanted to mention the injuries.
Not sure how Paparone hasn't improved significantly on last year, either.

 

[davemc_lions]

At the time I was happy that they got the experienced players in. Apart from Fev as he was always a ticking time bomb which went off
We had bad luck with most injury wise if it worked more teams would of done it.
Actually most of our top up players gone down ever since. West, McGuane, Paine as well as Macguire/Staker from that trade been injured more then played.

Eddie removing our extra $'s has never helped.

I said in another thread you need to do a analysis why we getting so many injuries.. That killed us this year. Interesting the Suns the same is it the weather?

 

[James North]

I would love the club to go out and recruit a mature KPP capable at both ends (Staker), a couple of hard workers to set training standards (Clarke and Raines) and a solid contributor from a successful club (Buchanan).

Is winning the NEAFL really that important?

 

[jackess]

Is winning the NEAFL really that important?

Those guys (in 2010) would make our best 22 comfortably at the moment.

And yes it would be good to have a decent reserves side

 

[davemc_lions]

Is winning the NEAFL really that important?

YES where the kids learn to win.. now they learn to loose by 100 points..
The top up players are normally not the best.. It would pay to keep some older players around.. and I mean pay $

 

[Bucking Beads]

Is winning the NEAFL really that important?

Better question is will specialists reserves players actually help us win.