AFL 2023: St Kilda coach Ross Lyon speaks on the club’s support for Tim Membrey

Ross Lyon has reassured St Kilda fans and the football public that Tim Membrey is in ‘really good, ongoing care’, before detailing the difficult lead-in to Saturday’s final.

St Kilda forward Tim Membrey is receiving “really good ongoing care” as he continues his recovery from a mental health challenge which saw him withdraw from the club’s elimination final on the weekend.

Membrey was pulled out of the side on Saturday morning just hours before the Saints’ match against Greater Western Sydney and was replaced by first-year key forward Anthony Caminiti.

St Kilda described the situation pre-match as a “mental health challenge”, with coach Ross Lyon saying at the time that the news “just rocks you a bit”.

However, Lyon on Monday night moved to reassure the football public that Membrey was on the mend following the “delicate situation”.

“To all the Saints fans and football people, Tim’s in really good care, ongoing care,” Lyon said on Fox Footy’s AFL360.

“We’re really optimistic that ultimately he’ll be in good shape again in the near future. But our support for Tim and Emily is unwavering and the AFL has leant in and buying in.”

St Kilda forward Tim Membrey is receiving ‘really good ongoing care’. Picture: Michael Klein

Lyon went on to detail the difficult lead-in to the elimination final, after receiving a call from the club doctor at 8.16am on Saturday morning advising him of Membrey’s situation.

St Kilda had to request special consideration from the AFL and GWS to bring in Caminiti, who had not been named as an emergency and was set to play in a scratch match that morning.

“In hindsight, maybe we would have played (Dougal) Howard and (Zaine) Cordy forward just to be able to contain all information and protect the day, our players,” Lyon said.

“But because we didn’t do that, once there’s an oil spill, media release, communique.

“And then there’s a lot of chatter with your group. So I made the decision when everyone arrives at 1.30, in (for a meeting). Shared what I could – because we always do – and then (asked), ‘Anyone got any questions that we can answer?’ And then if anyone doesn’t feel they’re up to the challenge, there’s an emergency, Ryan Byrnes, ready to go, because there’s some people close to the situation.”

Coach Ross Lyon questioned his own coaching in the aftermath of Saturday’s loss. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

The Saints lost the elimination final to the Giants by 24 points at the MCG but Lyon said he did not believe the situation played a part in the defeat.

“One player said today, ‘It’s just a bit confusing just trying to figure it out’, but that was the situation we’re in,” Lyon said.

“(It’s) so unique, no rule book, but just try and be as honest and get the ability to reset.

“You can’t quantify what effect (it had) … It was not ideal, but it was certainly no excuse. Some of those closest to Tim felt it didn’t affect them, like Seb Ross.

“We had the tools in the palette to pull out, but we didn’t apply them how we should have.”

Lyon said he had questioned his own coaching in the aftermath of the loss, given his side was unable to play at “their optimum with effort and freedom to compete and give their best effort”.