Justin Leppitsch has been sacked as coach of the Lions, with the 40-year-old being handed his marching orders following Brisbane’s 58-point loss to St Kilda in the final round of the AFL season on Sunday.
Brisbane’s board held a meeting on Monday morning to discuss the future of the three-time premiership winning Lion, before informing players of the decision via a message from football boss Matthew Francis.
The message to players stated: “The club’s board came to the decision today after a thorough review of the team’s performance and the factors influencing continued poor results.”
The news does not come as a shock to AFL fans, who have all heard the murmurs of an ousting growing throughout the course of the 2016 season.
The conclusion of the season saw the Lions only avoid the wooden spoon by 0.6 per cent, ahead of the embattled Bombers, and finish with far and away the worst defensive record in the AFL, conceding an average of 130.5 points per game.
Speaking on the decision, Brisbane’s chairman Bob Sharpless said: “We extended his contract at the start of this year because we believed we were heading in the right direction, but this season has not panned out the way we expected to. We needed to do something.”
The Lions must now commence their hunt for a new coach, a position for which the board has yet to approach any potential candidates.
When commenting on the future coach, chief executive Greg Swann stated: “Ultimately we will just get the best coach there is. We don’t have a preconceived idea. Hopefully, we’ll begin that search soon.
“It doesn’t matter where they come from. If they are the best candidate then they will get the job. That’s a given.”
Leppitsch coached 48 games for the Lions from 2014-2016.
What do you think, Roarers? Was the decision to give Leppitsch the boot the right one?
And now that he’s gone, who should take the reigns at the Lions?
The real SC
Roar Rookie
Who would fit in as the next coach for Brisbane in 2017? I know that Simon Goodwin is confirmed at Melbourne for the start of 2017 season but they really need high experienced coaches e.g. Bomber Thompson. He has coached very well back in Geelong. Hopefully Lions could take a long way home if they could make the finals.
Axle and the Guru
Guest
The whole board needs to be sacked, what they have done to this club is a total disgrace, there is no professionalism in Brisbane whatsoever, emailing the players tells you everything about how the club is operated.
Paul D
Roar Guru
That would be a horribly hilarious case of deja vu Dave. I think they'd ripping the hairs from their heads down at AFL House if that ever eventuated.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Haha, that's pretty true actually. Wouldn't be surprised in that case if he gets it.
Paul D
Roar Guru
My thoughts exactly, well said. He was resigned to us being terrible.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Cheers thought I'd try a hand at live blogging, was good fun. Dreadful conference though. They're basically admitting they haven't got the foggiest idea what they're doing and are praying the AFL drops some good people in.
Simoc
Guest
They should make a play for Ross Lyon. He has pretty much failed at the Dockers now but got to a Grand Final. The Dockers need a new coach of a young variety who lets them play (like Luke Beveridge). But he is a proven performer. I think Blunt would be more to the point for Sharpless. It looks like Leppers been eating well lately. Pretty dam hard for him to instill confidence in a group of players after you get flogged repeatedly but like Voss before him, the team look to be going nowhere except backwards over a considerable period. And that is unlikely to change in the short future, hence probably less members and sponsors signing up. The future does not look bright.
michael steel
Guest
Very good summary and comments.
Dangertroy
Guest
Barker would make sense - the Lions are where Carlton ship players and CEOs they are done with, why not coaches too.
mattyb
Guest
Yeah I'm thinking Montgomery could somehow be involved. Leaving the dogs before the finals had me thinking something could be up and now the job at the lions is officially open. Not sure if he'd be a good coach though,at the doggies he had a tendency to say silly things.
mds1970
Roar Guru
He didn't have the cattle to work with; and that's something that will take time for the club to turn around. But there was nothing in Leppitsch that inspired or gave any feeling of hope. The morale at the Lions is terrible; and someone needs to come on board that gives a sense that this is a club going places and one should come on board for the ride.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Wasn't Williams at GWS? Still. Couldn't miss with their draft picks.
KingKongBundy
Guest
Not only that but it was Lyon that demoted him at the start of the year when the 2 hawks came in not Lyons greatest move as coach it seems
KingKongBundy
Guest
They need someone that has lots of experience and Suma has that ,Everyone saying Williams,Ratten and Thompson should get the gig well I'd be surprised if any of those wanted this job it reminds me of when port were looking for a coach and no one wanted it
Paul D
Roar Guru
I guess when you have something like $13 million (probably $15 million after this season) of debt what’s an extra $400K between friends, particularly when the AFL will pick up the tab. No acting coach appointed, no point. Everyone is on end of season break anyway, they’ll just put someone in place before the players all return and go from there. I do agree with Tom above though that we do look pretty foolish right now, but speaking as one of those members and supporters, I’m used to it. You know you’re the joke of the competition when people stop laughing at your bad performances and just start feeling sorry for you.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Hard to say – even if Voss hadn’t been sacked with a few weeks to go 2013 I can’t see how he would have survived all the go-home 5 all wanting out at the end of that season. The blame for the cultural issues leading to their departure would have been laid entirely at his feet. Sumich? A guy Ross Lyon just pushed out for not being good enough? Can’t see the Lions entrusting their fortunes to someone like that.
Paul D
Roar Guru
So let him keep the great relationship he has with the Richmond players, they need all the love they can get.
KingKongBundy
Guest
My question is,If Voss was still coach would Brizzy be doing this badly? It looked from a distance that he was building something. I have a feeling it will be a surprise the next coach maybe they will pull one from left field and name Peter Sumich as the man, stranger things have happened.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
Good riddance. Leppitsch is yet another great player who cannot coach to save his life. Just like Tim Watson, James Hird and Michael Voss, great players do not always make great coaches. Brisbane should have got an established coach and had the likes of Voss and Leppitsch as assistants for a minimum of 3 years. Letting in an average of 130 points a game is a disgrace. Even Essendon B didn't allow anywhere near those numbers but they had a real coach.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
You watch. Brisbane and Gold Coast will merge like Fitzroy and Brisbane did, and Brisbane Suns will be a force for 5 years before turning into the joke they are today