The Brisbane Lions have appointed Justin Leppitsch as coach of the club weeks after a long wait since Michel Voss departed shortly before the end of the AFL home and away season.
The Lions parted ways with Voss while the 2013 AFL season was still active, supposedly in an attempt to lure Paul Roos to the club, but have instead replaced Voss with an even less experienced option in Leppitsch.
Leppitsch beat out Neil Craig, Swans assistant coach Leigh Tudor, Essendon assistant Simon Goodwin and Hawthorn assistant Adam Simpson for the job after having spent the past four years as an assistant at Richmond.
Voss, a former club champion, has been replaced by another former influential Lion- the 37-year-old was a premiership player, two-time All-Australian and veteran of 227 games.
The Brisbane Lions haven’t been in great shape as of late; failing to make the finals since 2009 while operating at a total loss of $7.1 million over the previous three seasons.
Leppitsch will also have to contend with at least three “required players”- Billy Longer, Jared Polek and Elliot Yeo- leaving the club as free agents.
Roos joined Leppitsch in Wednesday’s headlines after Sydney Swans chairman Richard Colless made a scathing attack on the premiership coach over the weekend
"Paul's actions massively devalue his standing at the club," Colless told theDaily Telegraph.
"He led the club to its first premiership in 72 years. He helped establish the Bloods culture, he is on a pedestal at the Swans and I'm unbelievably disappointed in his actions.
"I consider taking players from the academy he has helped build is an absolute breach of protocol and a gentleman's agreement.
Roos says he’s “devastated" about the comments and has demanded an apology.
"I don't understand where the animosity is coming from," Roos responded.
"They've moved on and I've got to move on. Clearly there's an enormous amount of anger coming out of the Sydney Swans towards me. I don't understand why it happens. Maybe it's a message to me that things don't always pan out the way you want them to.
"I was hoping and always have hoped that I would walk out of that club respecting the club and receiving the same respect in return."
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