Ross Lyon remains defiant as Fremantle present united front amid allegations, writes Jon Ralph

FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon isn’t going anywhere, apologetic about the hurt caused, but defiant about his reputation as the likelihood of further allegations holds the key to this story, writes JON RALPH.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon will remain in his job.

FREMANTLE will hope that losing part of a limb will save the body.

Months of revelations about allegations regarding a senior figure, more recently revealed as Ross Lyon — a relentless drip feed of damaging headlines — just couldn’t continue.

Lyon, Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich and president Dale Alcock presented a united front at a press conference in Perth — the coach wasn’t going anywhere.

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It could have been very different if a man who had spoken to the AFL integrity team about a second Lyon incident had wanted to follow through.

Instead he decided against further action, so Fremantle decided it was time to push back.

“Ross the Boss” was apologetic about the hurt caused, but defiant about his reputation.

“I have got a strong reputation over 22 years of coaching in the AFL and I am proud of it and continue to protect it,” Lyon said.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon, president Dale Alcock and CEO Steve Rosich.

But it was his defiance about the likelihood of further allegations that holds the key to this story.

“I hold no fears,’’ he stated emphatically.

If this is truly the end of it then Lyon will survive with the backing of Fremantle, living to fight another day as he attempts to rebuild his club.

Yet what Fremantle cannot truly know is whether other allegations will float to the surface after lying submerged for years as so many have in the #metoo era.

Lyon said on Friday, “if you feel aggrieved there are processes to go through ... we would encourage that”.

Lyon has always been one of the AFL’s hardest taskmasters.

So hard on his staff that some quit through burnout, simply unable to keep up with the workload.

He has been hard on his players, even “retiring” several without their knowledge in his last days at St Kilda.

Yet many Saints players still love him and catch up with him regularly.

So the take-out from those two decades was that he was ruthless and at times hard, but always fair.

Fremantle couldn’t have backed him with more strength or determination.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon.

Alcock made a strong defence of the confidentiality clauses in the AFL’s respect and responsibility code.

“This is a workplace. We have got to respect the process of any complainant coming forward,” Alcock said.

“If we do not abide by it, how can any future complainant feel confident bringing a complaint forward?”

Yet the question remains — how can this code be a success if the woman involved in that 2013 incident still feels so aggrieved and let down by the process?

The very least the AFL’s integrity team should have done behind the scenes was contact her again to see why she feels so let down.

Lyon’s first press conference at this football club in 2011 was savage, famously asked if he felt he had stabbed predecessor Mark Harvey in the back.

“Not particularly,” was his reply.

Eight years on Lyon believes he has paid back the club’s faith in him several times over — “in spades” as he put it — even if they missed out on that premiership in 2013.

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