After news broke of his contract extension, Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch took to the podium at the Brisbane Lions 2016 Season Launch to provide the 300 supporters in attendance with an insight to the football Club's direction.
A successful trade and draft period is behind us and we’ve just come off a hugely successful off-season, during which 10 players re-signed including Vice-Captain’s Dayne Zorko and Pearce Hanley as well as Stefan Martin, Mitch Robinson, Marco Paparone, Harris Andrews, Ryan Harwood, Jaden McGrath, Rohan Bewick and Josh Clayton.
Off the field, a number of highly regarded staff including Assistant Coach Danny Daly, High Performance Manager Damien Austin, as well as Retention & Strategy Manager Craig Lambert and Player Welfare Manager Melissa Lambert have all come to the Club as part of a full revamp.
“Our Club is very satisfied that we tick all the boxes,” Leppitsch told guests.
"We continue with the re-signings of key personnel, as well as retention of our young talent - this is as good as any other team in the competition."
Leppitsch touched on the young and exciting list that we’ve created over the past two years, and the potential we have to grow as the talented players mature in the years to come.
“Those within the football club, those who have spent two hard seasons trying to put a young, talented and competitive list together, know we’ve achieved,” said Leppitsch.
“No longer we sit and hope for that elusive key forward or the key back, and no longer is the grass greener on the other side.
“Our talent is here and it’s exciting.
We may have acquired the youngest list in the league, but we have the talent and, with all our systems in place, it’s set to mature in a matter of years.
“We go into this season younger than last, but better equipped than we have ever been in a long time.
"We have a mature midfield, in their mid-twenties, and it’s as good as any in the competition.
“We also host one of the most exciting and highly regarded key talent in the AFL… They are very young, very hungry and very talented."
With 23 years in the AFL system under his belt, Leppitsch stated the two things you need to make something special; faith and patience.
“Faith in the pain and the direction of the football club and the most challenging part for all human beings, the patience.
“Not just patience in any of you, but patience in the AFL system - one in which that the rules are designed for all of us to win one premiership every 18 years.
“If only sixteen are sharing the last twelve premierships, it shows that some are doing this better than others; quite simply, they came, they committed, they stayed the course – something the our Club has done in the past.”
“It’s always the same with these cycles, in the beginning people are always asking you why you’re doing this but then, potentially, by the end they ask you how you did it.
“We hope that people ask that of the Club in years to come."
With a young list thirsty for a finals berth, Leppitsch spoke of a presentation that former Fitzroy and Brisbane Bears coach and former Fitzroy player, Robert Walls, gave to the playing group during our recent pre-season camp.
“He (Walls) put it quite simply. When you’re eating bacon and eggs, the chicken was just involved but the pig was committed. We plan on being the pigs this season.
“Our Club isn’t here to just exist but our Club is here to compete. This playing and coaching group are committed and not involved."
And as we closed out the 2015 season with just four wins to our name, it was our last game at the Gabba that provided the playing group, the staff and our supporters with renewed faith.
“We’ll play an exciting and aggressive brand of football as we did in the last time we played at the Gabba in Round 23 against the Doggies, who couldn’t forget that game?"
"High scoring, high pace, high energy and most importantly was that the energy supplied almost doubled and tripled by the Gabba crowd that day."
Now, a strong pre-season is behind us, Round 1 is just over two week’s away and there is a renewed energy that’s felt throughout the football club.
“The boys this season are really driving the standards and as a coach, it’s very motivating to watch and I’m so excited about this season ahead.
“Opposition awaits and I know our boys can’t wait and are looking forward to rip in to this season and 2016.
“As long as our Club and Board continue to support our staff as they are, and our staff continue to support our players, I can guarantee our players can give the fans what they want, and that’s an enjoyable night at the Gabba."