A premiership flag for Ross Lyon and Fremantle still seems long way off, writes Jon Anderson

PREMIERSHIP coach Ross Lyon — that once had a ­certain ring to it. But right now, Lyon appears no closer to filling that hole on his CV.

AFL - Fremantle Dockers v North Melbourne Kangaroos, Patersons Stadium, Perth. PICTURED- Fremantle's coach Ross Lyon leaves the huddle at the final break.

PREMIERSHIP coach Ross Lyon — that once had a ­certain ring to it, with Lyon’s ­accession to that exalted ­company seemingly just a matter of time.

But right now, and despite Fremantle being in a challenging position for another crack, Lyon appears no closer to filling that gaping hole on his coaching CV.

In fact the Dockers arguably are behind where they were last year, making an ­assault on Hawthorn and Sydney that much harder.

And if the Dockers don’t win it this year, then the bird may have flown for the near future given the ageing profile of their list. Three of their greatest players — Luke McPharlin, Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands — will be 33, 33 and 32, respectively, when next season starts.

Lyon and Michael Walters walk of the MCG after losing the 2013 AFL Grand Final to Hawthorn. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Lyon and the Dockers have signalled their intentions by recommitting until the end of 2017 and the club has shown itself, under astute list manager Brad Lloyd, ­capable this season.

But a close look at the list, examining the elite talent in the 23 years and under ­category, suggests the squad is very much about now.

Obviously Nat Fyfe, 22, Michael Walters, 23, and Lachie Neale, 21, are youngsters any AFL club would welcome, and they have a number of project players.

Two of them, Max Duffy and Hayden Crozier, played against Geelong last night.

Geelong also has an ageing list but has Mark Blicavs, Josh Caddy, Allen Christensen, Mitch Duncan, Cameron Guthrie, Steven Motlop, and arguably George Horlin-Smith and Jordan Murdoch, in the elite 23-and-under category.

The bulk of Fremantle’s list is made up of players who fit the ideal premiership age profile, such as Hayden Ballantyne, 27, Michael ­Barlow, 26, Zac Dawson, 28, Garrick Ibbotson, 26, Michael Johnson, 27, Chris Mayne, 25, David Mundy, 29, Tendai Mzungu, 28, Danyle Pearce, 28, and Lee Spurr, 27.

Good players all, and capable of ensuring the Dockers are thereabouts.

But a premiership side? Not so sure, particularly with a forward line that has one ageing target in Pavlich and no obvious successor.

Lyon with St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt after the 2010 Grand Final replay.

Scott Gumbleton was ­recruited because of that, but again was let down by a body that increasingly seems unable to withstand the rigours of the AFL.

Colin Sylvia, who the Dockers got for nothing through free agency, was seen as someone who also could add to the forward mix but to date has had no influence.

History has shown Sylvia to be just the type of player Lyon can rejuvenate. He performed that task at St Kilda with Sean Dempster and Dawson, and has done the same at Freo with Johnson, Clancee Pearce, Danyle Pearce and Michael Walters.

He came so close with the Saints and was closer than some seem to remember in last year’s Grand Final.

Had Fremantle kicked straight early it would have been interesting to watch the Hawks’ nerves.

The knockers are quick to suggest Lyon’s game plan will never win a flag but he has been too close on four occasions to accept that.

What can be levelled against him is his history of quickly adding age to his teams.

When he arrived at Freo for the 2012 season they were the ninth oldest team in the AFL. This year, with the arrival of Gumbleton and ­Sylvia, they are the oldest.

It was the same at St Kilda, which was in the top three for oldest lists for all of Lyon’s five seasons there.

Lyon and Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich would love to hold up a different cup in September.

FUNNY BOMBER

DURING A saga in which humour has been a rare commodity, Mark “Bomber” Thompson deserves serious credit for his ability to smile.

The main players in the Essendon drugs saga, men such as Andrew Demetriou, James Hird and Paul Little, are hardly what would you describe as funny people, so all the better that Thompson has decided the way to go is to laugh.

Watching him on Friday night after his side had lost a crucial match, you could have been forgiven for thinking he was front seat at a Billy Connolly concert.

POOR RYAN

WHILE on the subject of the Dockers, and it’s not something I’d ever previously worried about, how long can their public enemy No. 1 in Ryan Crowley survive the battering he takes each week?

Watch a replay of the Round 19 Fremantle-Carlton clash and note how many times Blues players make body contact with him in an attempt to lessen his tag on Marc Murphy.

It was exactly what Carlton needs to show more of but from a longevity angle it can’t be doing much for Crowley’s 30-year-old body, one that has been put through more in 183 games than most AFL players you can think of. No wonder he has at times expressed a desire to play as a free-running midfielder.