Garry Lyon is set to make his return to television after months in seclusion

AFTER months in seclusion battling health, relationship and personal issues, Garry Lyon is set to make his return to television with Channel 9’s Footy Classified next year.

Lyon still has one year to run on his current contract with Nine. Photo: supplied

AFTER months in seclusion battling health, relationship and personal issues, Garry Lyon is set to make his return to television with Channel 9’s Footy Classified next year.

Sources this week said following his year-long hiatus, Lyon would resume his media career with Nine and would return to Footy Classified.

Whether he will appear weekly on the show or on a sporadic basis was unclear.

“He is coming back to Footy Classified,” a source said this week. “It’s not announced yet but it will happen.’’

However, in keeping with the network’s often-stated position over the past few months, Lyon will not have anything to do with The Footy Show.

Lyon stepped away from The Footy Show in February after it was revealed his marriage had ended and he was romancing Nicky Brownless, who had just months earlier suddenly separated from her husband Billy — Lyon’s longtime friend and Footy Show co-host.

He also sought help for what was described by Nine at the time as serious mental health issues.

It is believed Brownless and Lyon have not spoken or contacted each other since the relationship between Lyon and Nicky became known in late December.

Lyon looks likely to return to Nine’s TV show Footy Classified next year. Photo: Supplied

Lyon still has one year to run on his current contract with Nine, but the network would not comment yesterday. “There is nothing to report,” a spokesperson said.

In recent months, Lyon’s team has been not so quietly sounding out the likes of Fox Footy and Channel 7 for opportunities for Lyon in 2017.

A radio role has also been on the shopping list with a seat in breakfast on sport-focused station SEN looking the most likely option.

After a year of drama on screen and off at The Footy Show, Nine is understood to be keen to “steady the ship’’ and bring some stability to the production. Part of that plan is a desire to keep the current on-air team together.

Both Sam Newman and Rebecca Maddern have two years to run on their current deals.

Meanwhile contract negotiations are proceeding with show regulars Brownless, Shane Crawford, Dave Hughes and James Brayshaw, who stepped down with no fanfare from Nine’s cricket commentary team last week.