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Gabba match is the target
07 March 2004 Sunday Herald Sun
LEPPITSCH is pleased with the way his shoulder reconstruction has recovered and hopes to be ready by Round 1 to play Sydney at the Gabba.
A dislocated right shoulder against Essendon in Round 16 last year forced the key defender to miss four matches. He admitted this week he was not as keen to initiate body contact during the finals as he usually would be.
"The injury is progressing quite well," the Lion said. "It's more a case of trying to hold me back. I will get one practice match in. I might have to start off in the reserves and do it that way. It's a bit hard when you haven't played a game for five months to come straight back into senior football."
The injury is the latest setback for Leppitsch. Since joining Brisbane in 1993, his injuries include a knee reconstruction, six hamstring tears, broken thumb and torn quad muscle.
Persistent hamstring problems almost ruined Leppitsch's 2001 season, missing the first 15 matches of the season.
"I played the last seven coming in (to the finals)," he said. "I actually felt fresh and fit and was ready to go that day. It's funny the way it works. The worst performance out of the three would have been in '02."
Leppitsch said last year's victory, achieved under great adversity, was the sweetest of the three flags.
"(The 2002 victory) was very special, but we were expected to win by 10 goals and won by nine points. Last year we were expected to lose and won by 50 points," he said. "The two feelings were quite different. Having all the problems with the injuries, playing every week in the finals, the loss in the first week against Collingwood and having to travel for the last two games, we did it the hard way."
Before Leigh Matthews arrived in Brisbane, Leppitsch was a struggling forward in the bottom side. Six years later he has three All-Australian jumpers to his credit and has become one of the game's premier defenders.
"It was a bit of a lifeline for me," he said of Matthews's decision to turn him into a backman. "At the time I thought it was a good move. I really embraced it."
Leppitsch has four years of his contract to run and has loved his time in Brisbane. But the defender would not rule out a move interstate to coach after his playing career is over.
'I'm 99.9 per cent sure I'm going to finish my career with the Lions," he said. "I've really loved Brisbane over the last 11 years, but being out of the football culture has taken its toll."
07 March 2004 Sunday Herald Sun
LEPPITSCH is pleased with the way his shoulder reconstruction has recovered and hopes to be ready by Round 1 to play Sydney at the Gabba.
A dislocated right shoulder against Essendon in Round 16 last year forced the key defender to miss four matches. He admitted this week he was not as keen to initiate body contact during the finals as he usually would be.
"The injury is progressing quite well," the Lion said. "It's more a case of trying to hold me back. I will get one practice match in. I might have to start off in the reserves and do it that way. It's a bit hard when you haven't played a game for five months to come straight back into senior football."
The injury is the latest setback for Leppitsch. Since joining Brisbane in 1993, his injuries include a knee reconstruction, six hamstring tears, broken thumb and torn quad muscle.
Persistent hamstring problems almost ruined Leppitsch's 2001 season, missing the first 15 matches of the season.
"I played the last seven coming in (to the finals)," he said. "I actually felt fresh and fit and was ready to go that day. It's funny the way it works. The worst performance out of the three would have been in '02."
Leppitsch said last year's victory, achieved under great adversity, was the sweetest of the three flags.
"(The 2002 victory) was very special, but we were expected to win by 10 goals and won by nine points. Last year we were expected to lose and won by 50 points," he said. "The two feelings were quite different. Having all the problems with the injuries, playing every week in the finals, the loss in the first week against Collingwood and having to travel for the last two games, we did it the hard way."
Before Leigh Matthews arrived in Brisbane, Leppitsch was a struggling forward in the bottom side. Six years later he has three All-Australian jumpers to his credit and has become one of the game's premier defenders.
"It was a bit of a lifeline for me," he said of Matthews's decision to turn him into a backman. "At the time I thought it was a good move. I really embraced it."
Leppitsch has four years of his contract to run and has loved his time in Brisbane. But the defender would not rule out a move interstate to coach after his playing career is over.
'I'm 99.9 per cent sure I'm going to finish my career with the Lions," he said. "I've really loved Brisbane over the last 11 years, but being out of the football culture has taken its toll."
