Mark Robinson sits down with St Kilda coach Ross Lyon on player morale, CEO friction rumours
St Kilda is in sixth position on the ladder and hasn’t been out of eight all season. Yet, there is plenty of outside noise about the club. What’s real and what’s not? Ross Lyon went one-on-one with Mark Robinson.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
On the balcony outside the “Animal Enclosure” lunch room at Moorabbin, where the “Angels” coterie ladies help make lunches for St Kilda’s players and staff, Ross Lyon fires back the questions.
It’s his new fave coffee spot, as he watches training.
So, when asked what’s changed in him from 10 years ago to now as a coach, he says: “Do you reckon I’d be sitting here having a coffee with you when training (was on)?’’, his arm sweeping across the swish Saints home ground.
“It’s good up here,’’ he says. “The Angels are great except I call them the assassins when we lose.’’
He laughed hard with that little zinger.
For a club that seemingly has the season’s walls closing in, and perhaps on the verge of crushing it, it is zinger central this day.
Undoubtedly, at 10 wins and eight losses and in sixth position, and having never been out of top eight all season, the assassins – friendly or not – are taking aim at the Saints.
On the outside, the popular opinion is the team is under-skilled, over-performed, the list is average, the game plan is boring, the coach and CEO are disaffected and the general morale is wavering.
“Morale? I said you mentioned that and I spoke to the coaches and they giggled,’’ Lyon said. “Corey Enright giggled.’’
Among the players?
“They’re better than OK,’’ he said. “Last week there was formal feedback given to all staff and they just said we’ve been unwavering on process, it’s been level, no wild swings, players who haven’t played all year said, ‘I know I’m not getting a game but I’ve never been happier’,
“I would think you can’t give the effort we’re giving if there’s a morale problem. It’s quite funny, really. Has anyone seen a lack of effort with us? You know, (Callum) Wilkie came to me after the Melbourne game or the Gold Coast game, and said you need to be harder on us.
“You know, the ladder never lies.’’
Briefly, Saints chief executive Simon Lethlean joins Lyon on the balcony.
Recent media speculation had the pair at loggerheads. They denied it. But the allegation remained despite the denial.
Truth is there was something there, but it was overhyped. Outgoing AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, who is mates with Lethlean and a fan of Lyon, described it as the pair “feeling each other out’’ in their new roles.
The fact is Lethlean is a footy CEO. He played 40-odd games for Hawthorn reserves. He played and coached in the Ammos, won flags as a player and coach in the Ammos, was head of footy at the AFL, was head of footy St Kilda and is now CEO.
Lyon is not a first-timer, however. In the past, the reality was it was his way or the highway. He’s more collaborative now, but at the same time he’d still prefer not to carpool.
The unease surfaced when plans and personnel Lethlean put in place as the footy boss were, in part, superseded by Lyon’s own wants and changes.
Two significant departures this year have been senior football analyst David Rath, head of high performance Nick Walsh and head of football Geoff Walsh.
The key signing was Lyon’s great mate Stephen Silvagni in recruiting and list management.
“Simon and I are in as good a space as we’ve been in,’’ Lyon said.
“There’s been some transition.
“It was a volatile change … for Brett (Ratten) and for the club. But it was based on a review and what came out of the review, and they decided to act. So, that’s not me.
“It wasn’t unlike the Thomas one (Grant Thomas sacking) but a bit different, but volatile. And the playing group has been incredibly embracing. But back to the original point. Simon was always going to be CEO, but he really constructed the football department structure and plan and he’s a great football person. His passion is footy. I came in as an experienced coach and clearly changed a bit of the program and there were some personnel changes and that’s going to happen.
“And Simon is very loyal which is a great attribute and I think it challenged him that some of his people went. I would acknowledge that and Simon would acknowledge that. In saying that, we haven’t had a raised word nor a heated meeting.
“It’s probably understanding that I’m not a junior coach and I probably require a little bit more space than when he (Lethlean) was GM of footy.
“It’s just been that transition.
“He’s committed to success and so am I.’’
Lethlean agreed and, this day, they were thoroughly at ease. More to the point, Lethlean said he was not going to Hawthorn to be its chief executive, as was also speculated.
“I’ve been waiting to be CEO for a while, so I’m here for the long haul,’’ Lethlean said.
“We’ve got plenty to do. No, I’ll be here for a long while.’’
Lyon wants to win this week (Hawthorn) and next (Carlton) and pave the way to play finals.
At the same time, he says he’s playing the “long game”, exploring the list and staff.
“In the past, if you try to make things happen too quickly you can burn people out,’’ Lyon said.
More evidence of a changed, matured coach?
“That’s all part of it, that’s why I feel I’m a better coach. Even on game day, I could get unhinged with the best of them. I haven’t been unhinged yet I wouldn’t have thought,” he said.
“I’m very respectful of what my role is and my role is to collaborate with my coaches.’’
They are current Australian Football Hall of Famers – Robert Harvey, Corey Enright and Lenny Hayes.
“I don’t think I’ve taken a session all year. I do this a lot (watch training). We plan out the session, we met yesterday, we check in, we lean in. I’ve not taken an X and O all year (offensive and defensive review). I ask, ‘What you’ve got?’ I say, ‘Yeah’. And then I might help shape it a little bit. I used to love getting up and doing all that and I don’t do any of that now.’’
First touted maybe 10-12 years ago that football programs were transforming from being led by a senior coach to a manager of coaches, it would seem it has been adopted at the Saints.
“We collaborate, co-ordinate and because the assistant coaches are so knowledgeable and experienced, and sometimes they are so respectful of each other, sometimes you have to pry out the other’s thoughts to help the other rather than just stay in your lane. That’s the collaboration piece,” Lyon said.
It’s apparent on game day.
At three-quarter-time last week against North Melbourne, down by 16 points and the walls closing in, collaboration was at the fore.
“All the coaches had input,’’ Lyon said. “(Rowan) Marshall forward, (Mitch) Owens into the ruck. Marshall was yeah, what does that mean for him? Who does that push where? I liked it.’’
Last-quarter rotations are automatic and sports science can pull apart any plan, but Lyon’s role is still the sheriff in that regard.
“I said, no, everything’s through me and Marshall is not coming off. Owens ain’t coming off. Sharman, who went to (Ben) McKay and that was a discussion with ‘Harves’, and sports science had him rotated and I said, no, he’s not coming off. That’s my bit, where I can exert over the top,” Lyon said.
The Saints are living desperate times. Starting with a 7-3 win-loss record, they have returned 3-5 since. Injuries have hurt them: Max King, Jack Steele, Zak Jones, Hunter Clark, Tim Membrey, Nick Coffield and Daniel McKenzie have missed large chunks of and in McKenzie’s case the whole season.
After the Gold Coast loss in round 18, Lyon lamented the team’s lack of performance. In a typically honest press conference, it was interpreted that Lyon said there was a talent depth issue at the club, which prompted media dissection of the Saints’ list.
“I didn’t say depth,’’ Lyon said.
“What I said was when our elite players are a little bit off, because there was no (Brad) Hill against Gold Coast and (Jack) Sinclair was down, that everyone needs to step up. And we weren’t able to do it.
“We were doing it earlier in the year because we were doing it without them (injured players).’’
So, it’s not a depth issue?
“I didn’t say a depth issue,’’ he said, a fraction more spiritedly than the first time. “What I said was when we needed others to step up we haven’t quite been able to do that when it’s been required over the past few weeks. And on the weekend we did it. When it needed to get desperate, we got desperate, and we dominated the last quarter.
“Look, we’re finding out about our list. We want to build a great team. We think over a period of time, if it’s one year, two years, four years … I think we have the coaches, and the conditioners and facilities and the wherewithal off field … we’re thrilled.’’
Amid predictions from afar of a gloomy final five weeks, cuddly Ross still has splashes of street-fighter Ross.
“People at the start of the year who criticised us had us 15th,’’ he said.
“We’re sixth … the ladder never lies. And guess what? We’ve got five games to go.
“All I know is our season is alive. We’re in control. We know against perceived better teams our performances have been strong. We’re quite excited. And we’re getting our availability back. They might take a while to come to hand, but Jones has been important, Coffield has played one game, Membrey is back this week in the VFL, and we’re hoping King versus Carlton. We lose (Dougal) Howard. (Jack) Hayes, who everyone really rates, might play this week to help our kids in the front half.’’
It’s kids city in the Saints’ forward 50. Anthony Caminiti and Owens are both 19, Mattaes Phillipou is 18 and Sharman is 23. In the defensive 50, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Marcus Windhager are both 20. There’s a snapshot of the “long game’’ play.
Wanganeen-Milera was homesick last year and is flourishing this season and Lyon thinks they’ve found a spot for Windhager on a back flank.
“Nasiah’s been a revelation,” Lyon said.
“Corey Enright said, ‘He’s not a winger, Ross, halfback is his spot’. I said, ‘Well, you’re the halfback whisperer, no worries. Of course I listened.’’
So, what’s attainable this year?
“That’s the $64,000 question,’’ Lyon said.
“When the season was on the line, we were very brave. You don’t fluke 5-1 coming off a pre-season when everyone is fit and available, that’s all I know.
“I think anyone who takes us for granted (over the coming weeks), well, good luck to them, that’s fine. We are backing ourselves in.’’
AFL Rich 100: The biggest boom and bust contacts revealed
It’s all about finding value where you can, and while some clubs are doing that well, others are struggling, paying high-price for little reward. Check out the AFL’s biggest boom and bust deals.
Six reasons why Hokball is ‘made for September’
There’s no better show in footy than the ‘Hollywood Hawks’. And after dispatching the Bulldogs on Friday night, Hawthorn is now the third favourite for the flag. Here’s six reasons why.