Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch along with premiership teammate and Geelong coach Chris Scott have told Fox Footy’s AFL 360, they wouldn’t mind if the West Coast Eagles spoiled the party to end Hawthorn’s three-peat attempt in the Grand Final this weekend.
Both Leppitsch and Scott attended the Coaches Association Awards in Melbourne last night.
“In a lot of ways it’s similar (Hawthorn’s finals path), in our third premiership year we lost the first week of finals as well and had to do it the hard way and come via Sydney to the Grand Final.
“I’m not sure if we want them to win it or not”, Leppitsch said.
“I’m not sure what Scotty’s thoughts are, publicly I should say yes (to a Hawthorn win) but for our history I’d probably say no”, he laughed.
Leppitsch said plenty came out of the Club’s post season review.
“We got a lot of clarity on a lot of things, it was a review that I commissioned.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of speculation about our football club and probably the word ‘speculation’ is always a good one”, Leppitsch said.
“Things to come out of the review are everything, we had thoughts about what the players thought of the coaches – all of the coaches, myself, the fitness program and that’s something that’s not uncommon in any football club, to be perfectly honest.
“But, unfortunately when you’re languishing near the bottom, people are always going to be looking for something to talk about. Potential off season exits have been blown out a bit as well.
“I think as a footy club we just have to focus on our on-field stuff, that’s the most important thing,” he said.
“We have a really young group, we’ve got a good long term future ahead of us but we just have to get our fittest group out and on the football field and playing good footy.
Regarding the out-of-contract James Aish, Leppitsch said,
“There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding him and it’s very much unfair…
“It’s no different to a Patty Dangerfield who might be going to another place, as we know”, he quipped looking to Cats coach, Scott.
“There has been plenty of players shopped around but for some reason the Brisbane Lion faces seem to have a bit more speculation to them.”
