Ross Lyon ‘committed’ to Freo but he said that at St Kilda before he left, writes Mark Robinson

Ross Lyon was emphatic when he said he was committed to Fremantle, but we’ve heard this all before. Mark Robinson ponders whether this time it’s different.

Dockers coach Ross Lyon addresses the media on Wednesday. Pic: Getty Images

“Quite simply, I am contracted ... and I'm fully committed to fulfilling that contract.”

That was Ross Lyon speaking.

No, not on Wednesday.

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That was Ross Lyon speaking in mid-2011, four months before he left St Kilda for Fremantle in a move that rankled everyone involved with the Saints.

In September, 2011, Lyon said: “I am as committed now as I have ever been to my role (at St Kilda).”

He walked away from the Saints a week later.

Ross Lyon leads the Saints off after their 2011 elimination final loss — his last in charge at the club.

Clearly, being fully committed and fulfilling a contract are separate entities.

Lyon was contracted until the end of 2012 at St Kilda and he’s contracted at Fremantle until the end of 2020.

There was a get-out clause at the Saints, which Lyon exercised amid clandestine conversations with Dockers chief executive Steve Rosich.

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It remains to be seen if there’s get-out clause involving Lyon’s current contract with the Dockers.

The point is, despite what Lyon said on Wednesday, circumstances can and do change.

That does not mean Lyon will be at St Kilda next year, which has been the basis of wild speculation this week.

The coaching landscape has become a storm of speculation.

Three coaches have been sacked — Brad Scott, Brendon Bolton and Alan Richardson — and a multitude of names have been proposed to replace them, from obvious targets such as Michael Voss to the more bizarre such as Neil Balme.

Other coaches could follow. With six weeks to play out, the football world is looking at Adelaide, Port Adelaide and Essendon.

If any of those teams crumble badly, then the spotlight will go on the coach.

If Lyon does leave, who gets Fremantle?

Could Brad Scott head to the club where his brother Chris once worked?

Scott has not decided — or has not revealed — his plans for next year. It is possible he will not coach at all.

Scott Burns’ name is doing the rounds, as are the names of Justin Longmuir, James Hird, Robert Harvey and Sam Mitchell.

There will be others not yet mentioned.

Ross Lyon had time for a joke during Wednesday’s press conference. Pic: Getty Images

While all of them are on the media merry-go-round, the most focus is on Lyon and St Kilda.

Lyon, 52, has continually denied he is leaving Fremantle despite, he says, agenda setters trying to get him out.

“There’s lots of agendas being run,” he said.

“There’s agendas to move me on and get me out of the club. Apparently there’s noise that I’m required in Melbourne.

“I’m not going to indulge hypotheticals. I’m clearly committed here and I’m enjoying my time.

“I’m committed to my job, I’m committed to Fremantle, I’m committed to Nat Fyfe and I’m committed to improving.

“I’m not here to talk any more hypotheticals because it’s actually getting boring.”

On face value, Lyon is not going anywhere.

How could he after such an emphatic press conference on Wednesday?

His links to St Kilda are loud but, at this stage, flimsy.

They are more whispers than anything categoric, although it would be nice to know what the likes of Saints advisor Gubby Allan thinks.

Former Saints players Nick Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna and Nick Dal Santo, who played under Lyon, say they want their former coach or a Lyon-type at the Saints next year.

It’s not their fault, but this talk is partly to blame for the Lyon hysteria.

“I reckon Rossy is a brilliant coach but there seems to be a lot of heat over there,” Riewoldt told the Herald Sun.

“How much of it is coming from the media and how much of it is coming internally, it’s impossible to tell. But I’m a huge believer in Rossy.”

Riewoldt has declined an invitation to join the Saints’ coaching selection panel.

But that will not stop him offering advice, if asked.

“Anyone who becomes a candidate and so let’s assume Ross becomes a candidate at St Kilda, they’d be mad not to talk to the former players,” he said.

“If Brad Scott’s a candidate, they’d be mad not to talk to Nick Dal Santo who played under him.

“If Brad is a candidate for Fremantle, then Fremantle should talk to Drew Petrie.

“How much can you learn from someone doing a power point, as opposed to finding out from the people on the shop-room floor what they were like?

“That seems like a pretty logical spot to start.”

It makes sense, but it's only pertinent if a) the Saints want Lyon and b) Lyon can be extracted from Fremantle.