Brisbane Lions Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch has hit back at Collingwood President Eddie McGuire’s recent outcry against the junior development academies afforded to clubs in the northern states.

McGuire was ‘red hot’ on the issue, claiming that it was an unfair advantage for the Lions – along with Sydney, Greater Western Sydney, and the Gold Coast – as they could “get players and hide them away”.

Leppitsch gave a wry smile when questioned about the subject during his recent post-game press conference, and responded with his typical dry sense of humour.

“We’re hiding them….I’ve actually got one at my house, hiding under the cupboard,” Leppitsch joked.

But Leppitsch was serious in expressing how important programs such the Hyundai Lions Academy are for the growth of the code in non-traditional football markets such as Queensland.   

“We have to keep developing our northern states,” Leppitsch said.

“If we take away the academies, you’re taking away potential growth of AFL players (in the region). They’ll go to Rugby League or basketball instead.

“These academies are dragging players away from basketball, like Archie Smith who’s on our (rookie) list. Without the (Hyundai Brisbane Lions) Academy, Archie Smith is lost to the game, and he could potentially be the next Nic Naitanui.

“You need (the academies). We have to be smart about these things.”

Leppitsch also reaffirmed that clubs with academies still had to bid on their quality home-grown talent, and didn’t simply get players for ‘free’.

“At the end of the day, they cost you a draft pick anyway, so it’s not as though we’re getting them for free,” he said.

“It’s great for the development of the game, and if we’re going to invest the money in it, we’ve surely got to get the benefit out of it don’t we?

“It’s not the sort of thing that’s going to kill the competition. It’s not worth the big ‘hoo-ha’, I think.”