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Are Leppitsch and Rocky too old school?

Roar Pro
2nd September, 2015
2

With the signings of Dayne Beams, Allen Christiansen and Mitch Robinson at the end of the 2014 season, the Brisbane Lions went into the off season in what appeared a much improved position than in recent years.

Season 2015 began well enough. After defeating St Kilda and Sydney, then drawing with Gold Coast in the NAB Cup, the Lions went into the first game of this season full of hope and as firm favourites at home against Collingwood – only to lose by two goals.

From then, things have just seemed to go from bad to worse for the Lions in 2015. The next four games were lost by an average of 70 points, culminating in a 10-goal belting at the hands of the Suns, before a mini revival saw them defeat Carlton and Port Adelaide in consecutive weeks.

However just when it seemed their season was on the improve, the following week they were smashed by Essendon, and have not won a game since. And unless they can upset a rampant Western Bulldogs in the final round this weekend will finish with the wooden spoon.

So what happened? Certainly injury played a part. But other teams have fared worse on that front this season without being anywhere near as dismal on the field as the Lions.

Gold Coast had virtually their whole midfield out for the vast majority of the season, yet were still able to get over their Queensland rivals on both occasions.

Now with the home-and-away season drawing to a close there are a number of articles appearing in various media outlets concerning another player exodus from Brisbane, similar to that that occurred two seasons ago.

First of course was James Aish. But that is hardly recent news. He has been linked to a number of Victorian clubs throughout the year and is almost certain to leave.

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The next was Matthew Leuenberger, although that was to be somewhat expected given Stefan Martin has been and continues to be the preferred number one ruckman, while the talented but injury prone Leuenberger has been in and out of the side.

Then came Martin himself. While both the afore mentioned players are out of contract at season’s end, Martin is signed until the end of 2016, but apparently wants to go home to Victoria and has asked to be traded.

Another is vice-captain Dayne Zorko. Reports of a rift between him and Skipper Tom Rockcliff surfaced last week, although Rockcliff himself was quick to refute this on social media.

The manner in which he refuted the report however points to what may be one of the issues at the Lions – but we will get back to that in a moment.

The latest player that has now reportedly asked for a release is mid-fielder Jack Redden. A News Limited article appearing on Wednesday suggested that Redden had told those close to him that Justin Leppitsch was the reason he wanted out, as he felt he had lost the faith of the Lion’s coach.

Although most of these reports have been refuted by the club, they still persist. And most centre round Coach Justin Leppitsch and Captain Tom Rockcliff.

Both men are old fashioned footballers. They call it as they see it, and occasionally in the case of Rockliff do so without much forethought. A prime example of this was his reply on social media to the writer of the report of a rift in the playing group.

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Neither men were, or are amazingly talented on the field. They got to where they are through an uncompromising determination to get the best out of themselves, and working their old fashioned butts off – both on and off the field.

However in this day and age of the metrosexual man, where even AFL footballers are expected to identify with their feminine side, is having two old fashioned footballers such as Leppitsch and Rockcliff in charge of such a young group a wise move.

This is not a dispersion on either of these two men. But it is natural to expect others to be as uncompromising and as tough you yourself are, and when they are not the disappointment can surface in a manner some may not feel comfortable with.

Nathan Buckley had many similar traits to Rockcliff when he captained Collingwood, and was often criticised because of it.

Through his early years as Skipper at the Magpies, Tony Shaw was coach. Shaw was as old fashioned a footballer as there ever was, and the combination of him and Buckley yielded the same sort of performances as we have seen from the Lions in the last few seasons.

Conversely when Mick Malthouse came on board, a coach renowned for his player management skills, Collingwood quickly became a premiership contender.

While the old fashioned coach captain combo works well with successful sides – one only has to look at Hawthorn for an example – perhaps it is not the answer for a side trying to make its way back up the ladder.

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There is no doubt that it has become an issue at the Lions, and that it has been recognised as such by the club’s management evidenced by the recent appointment of former player and welfare manager Craig Lambert.

Hopefully for the Lion’s sake Lambert can improve the environment around the players enough to talk some, if not all of those reportedly wanting out to stay.

If he cannot and things do not improve over the off season the Lions may well have to look at changing something else – and as is the way of this business that change is usually the coach.

Are Leppitsch and Rockcliff the right men to take the Lions forward?

Perhaps so, however the last two years have been grim ones for Brisbane, and based purely on the evidence of those years the question must be asked and answered not only correctly, but also definitively by the decision makers at the club.

If not those recent grim years may become the norm for the Brisbane Lions for the foreseeable future.

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