The uncomfortable truth about Lyon-Saints links

2 years ago 100

Ross Lyon is firming arsenic the favourite for St Kilda's newly-vacant elder coaching relation aft a bid of meetings with the Saints.

Having already shared a fig of meetings with Saints president Andrew Bassat, Lyon is acceptable to conscionable with caller St Kilda shot brag Geoff Walsh.

Lyon has been among the apical of the wishlist for a fig of roles since helium past sat successful an AFL coaches' container backmost successful the 2019 season.

But having knocked backmost some Carlton and Essendon already, the accidental to hop backmost successful the spot wherever it each started successful St Kilda could beryllium to beryllium a lawsuit of present oregon ne'er for Lyon.

If Lyon knocks backmost the Saints occupation arsenic well, adjacent play volition beryllium the 4th since his last twelvemonth successful Fremantle, and successful a league that moves highly quickly, the 55-year-old risks becoming an outdated commodity.

Lyon has attempted to play it chill successful the past week arsenic links to St Kilda person emerged, thing that has been a communal taxable each time he's been talked astir arsenic a imaginable campaigner for a vacancy implicit the past fewer years.

This time, helium whitethorn person to alteration tact.

"You either privation it oregon you don't, Ross," erstwhile Fremantle prima Paul Hasleby told SEN.

"Come retired and beryllium beardown and amusement immoderate passionateness (and say), 'yep, I privation it, I'm prepared to bash immoderate it takes due to the fact that that's however I consciousness astir this shot club.

"I couldn't rather get determination a mates of times successful expansive finals, present I privation to get determination and spell forward'.

"That should beryllium the language."

A batch has changed since Lyon past led an AFL side. Lyon's teams were ever known for being stout antiaircraft units, and the league's state of question rules brought successful to easiness congestion volition origin the antiaircraft mastermind to alteration tact.

Even much has changed since Lyon past led a squad to the finals, the Fremantle broadside of 2015.

While Lyon forged his coaching estimation successful the archetypal fractional of his vocation with St Kilda and Fremantle, the grounds from his past 4 years with the Dockers makes for disfigured reading.

Lyon's Fremantle teams won conscionable 29 of 87 games betwixt 2016-19, adjacent with the likes of Nat Fyfe and David Mundy inactive connected its list. He is not a surefire imaginable to pb a broadside to premiership glory astatine this point.

However, for a nine similar St Kilda, who is screaming retired for a taste reset, Lyon whitethorn beryllium to beryllium the cleanable match. Unlike Carlton and Essendon, Lyon besides has a earthy transportation with the nine and the fanbase owed to his erstwhile tenure betwixt 2007 and 2011.

Another large quality betwixt the openings astatine Carlton and Essendon is the information that Lyon seems improbable to person to triumph the occupation done an exhaustive process, having been headhunted by the Saints arsenic Alastair Clarkson was by North Melbourne.

The St Kilda relation looms arsenic the cleanable opportunity. Pass this 1 up and it mightiness good beryllium curtains for Ross the Boss successful the coaching box.

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