Justin Leppitsch can lead a Brisbane Lions revival, writes Jonathan Brown

JUSTIN Leppitsch is on the chopping block but I’m backing him to lead a Lions resurgence. Right now, I’m more critical of the senior players than the coach, writes Jonathan Brown.

Brisbane coach Justin Leppitsch is no guarantee to hold onto his job. Picture: Getty Images

MY old mate Justin Leppitsch is on the chopping block.

After 40 losses from 52 games, it’s not unreasonable to suggest his coaching days could be numbered.

But “Leppa” is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve encountered and I’m backing him to lead a Brisbane Lions resurgence.

Right now, I’m more critical of the senior players, some list management decisions of the past and a lack of development support in recent years than the coach.

Leppa’s hands have also been tied by a reserves team getting thrashed in the NEAFL week after week.

The problem is effort as much as anything. They made some progress in the opening few weeks but the last three quarters against Port Adelaide and for the entire game against Collingwood, the workrate was pathetic.

That’s a worry and can be a reflection on whether the coach’s message is getting through and how motivated the players are to embrace it.

If you keep dishing up performances like last Saturday night, of course, he’ll be in danger. Leppa would freely admit that, especially in a football market as fragile as Queensland.

Brisbane coach Justin Leppitsch is no guarantee to hold onto his job. Picture: Getty Images

But there’s more substance and coaching smarts to the three-time All-Australian defender than many people think.

He wouldn’t have been all fire and brimstone this week.

He would have kept it pretty level, getting around individually to each of his players.

He can be pretty jovial and lighthearted, which was great in the locker room as a player. He’ll be doing that and offering some of the old Leigh-isms: “It’s never as good as it feels and never as bad as it seems.”

Most of it will be pretty positive. I don’t think he’ll be coming out with the sledgehammer.

I challenge Tom Bell not to hand the ball straight back to the opposition.

After the Port game he publicly put it on the midfield group — and rightly so — but after the Collingwood loss he put it all on himself to deflect some heat from the players.

That told me he was trying to unload the pressure and focus on the positives, but Leppa is a realist and he knows the buck stops with the coach.

Effort is easy to identify and we’ll know from five minutes into Sunday’s game if it’s there, but it must continue for four quarters, despite the score.

Defensively, it’s simple things like manning the mark enthusiastically. It’s the easiest thing you can do, but a great indicator of how switched on a team is.

It’s midfielders exiting stoppages with urgency, sprinting away, not dawdling, and charging back to assist an inexperienced backline.

Offensively, it’s players streaming to create options. It’s spreading, running and getting over to help a mate.

Tom Bell must step up in the absence of Dayne Beams and Tom Rockliff. Picture: Getty Images

No Dayne Beams and no Tom Rockliff certainly hurts, but I expect Daniel Rich to fight through the tag of Jack Viney.

I expect Pearce Hanley to retaliate when Bernie Vince rips into him.

I want to see Stefan Martin challenging Max Gawn to run to all parts of the MCG.

I challenge Tom Bell to make an impact and use his brute force, and not hand the ball straight back to the opposition.

I want Allen Christensen to run as hard when he’s chasing as he does when he gets a free ball over the top.

And I want Ryan Bastinac to show that he’s more than just a depth player and to use his endurance and skills to hurt the opposition.

I know Leppa can coach and has the game plan to succeed.

There’s a view in some quarters that Leppa was gifted the job because of his close association with Leigh Matthews.

Truth is, he was only offered an interview out of courtesy and absolutely floored the selection panel with the breadth of his presentation.

He earned the Brisbane job at the end of 2013 on his own merits, getting the nod over Adam Simpson.

Craig Kelly manages a lot of high-profile coaches and has seen a lot of practice-run presentations and declared it one of the best he’s ever seen.

Trust me, Leigh Matthews isn’t a man who plays favourites.

The week before Leppa retired in 2006, Leigh dropped him to the reserves. His last game of football was in the Brisbane seconds, so Leigh has never let his emotions get in the way of his decisions.

Ryan Bastinac in action for the Lions. Picture: Getty

Leppa served seven seasons as an assistant coach and narrowly missed out on the Richmond job at the end of 2008.

The Tigers were so impressed by his presentation that they offered him the position behind Damien Hardwick, which he accepted.

He’d been at Brisbane as an assistant under Michael Voss but he knew he had to get out and develop his coaching philosophy in Melbourne.

He was heavily influenced by Hardwick, who comes from the Alastair Clarkson coaching family tree.

The other thing that had a bearing on his appointment at the Lions is that he knows the Brisbane landscape and understood the challenges of getting younger players to embrace both the club and the city.

Leppa was that same 17-year-old draftee that wanted to go home but instead worked hard, stayed on and became a premiership legend.

There’s no doubt he was challenged on his management style last year.

He’s had to curb his aggression and the return of his great mate Craig Lambert in a senior strategy and retention role has been a major win.

Having played under him, I know Leppa can coach and has the game plan to succeed.

My money is on the Lions turning it around, starting in the first quarter against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.