Nine Network’s support for Bill Brownless deafening in its silence

GARRY Lyon slept with his best mate’s missus and left a trail of destruction, but not a skerrick of care has been shown by Nine for Brownless, writes Mark Robinson.

Garry Lyon Stakeout/doorknock

LET’S cut to the chase. Garry Lyon slept with his best mate’s missus and has left a trail of destruction.

The personal toll will play itself out. The professional fall-out will be deeply damaging.

Already, Channel Nine is angry it lost control of the story. The network had been carefully planning a stage-managed anouncement this week.

The network remains furious at the Herald Sun for breaking the story on Saturday and not playing by its rules.

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Nine’s support for Bill Brownless has been deafening in its silence.

Not a skerrick of care has been released publicly from the network about Brownless in what must be a soul-destroying period for the frothy-loving Cat.

No such lack of love for Lyon, though, who Nine has portrayed as a victim.

“We are all supporting Garry and hope he will be back to good health very soon. Our priority is his well being,” Nine said.

Sorry, Bill, you’re not high on the priority list.

Clearly, Nine will look after Brownless by ensuring he returns to The Footy Show. It’s the least they can do.

Former friends Garry Lyon and Billy Brownless.

Lyon’s loss to both The Footy Show and Triple M and the overall fabric of Melbourne football will be enormous.

He is curt, anti-social and cocky, but that pales against his tremendous feel for the game.

When Lyon talks, you listen, and very rarely, if ever, would you say he talks rubbish about the game.

He talks football in a manner that is more 1970s and ‘80s than the modern game. He talks about desperation and inspiration, about team over individual, about sacrificing, and about looking your teammate in the eye as you walk off the field, in victory or defeat.

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In Ireland in 2004, when Lyon was coach of the International team, he would work himself and his team into a nationalistic lather, all swearing and bellowing.

His talks may have lacked detailed strategy, but that wasn’t the mission.

He was a William Wallace type, or a Maximus Decimus Meridius, a leader of men.

At Triple M and Channel Nine, Lyon wields the same influence.

One colleague said Lyon was amazing in the “bubble’’ of work, in that he made the others walk taller because of the comfort blanket he supplied.

The Footy Show is a blokey, blokey environment, which is ironic because the one thing blokes don’t like is one bloke sleeping with another bloke’s wife, or ex wife, or ex girlfriend. It is an unwritten rule between blokes.

Nine has said James Brayshaw, currently the co-host, will now host the show alone.

Billy Brownless and fellow AFL Footy Show talent Sam Newman. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Straight away the dynamic changes.

Brayshaw is partial to fake laughter and a touch of shrieking and doesn’t have the authority of Lyon when it comes to football.

Nor can he completely control Sam Newman, which was often the job of Lyon, who knew Sam had to be given some leash for ratings, but who also knew when to pull Sam back.

No, Brayshaw needs assistance and clearly the man to do it is Eddie McGuire.

The problem is Brayshaw needs Eddie as co-host, but Eddie doesn’t need anybody.

The other problem is the two of them don’t like each other as much as people think.

Nine’s other show, Footy Classified, takes a sizable hit.

Reporter Damian Barrett replaces Lyon on the panel and to borrow a line, it’s like replacing Frank Sinatra with a karaoke machine.

Talking about Footy Classified, Nine said Lyon was battling serious mental health issues for several months, but he seemed it was the same ol’ Gaz - emotionally invested, confident and knew right from wrong - when he hosted the Essendon supplement saga show with Barrett and Caroline Wilson on January 15.

If Nine knew of the on-going health battle, why did it allow Lyon to go on the show?

At Triple M, which was a ratings juggernaut, Lyon was the leader of the gang which, as part of the group’s DNA, danced on the misfortune of others.

Lyon, Brayshaw, Barret et al belittled the likes of Wayne Carey, Ben Cousins and Ricky Nixon and others. Bullying is a hobby and so is smart arse comments.

Now, one of Triple M’s own has crashed into the wall and clearly there won’t be the same banter at Lyon’s misfortune.

When you pass judgment or make jokes or poke fun at someone else’s pain or expense, it’s best to make sure your own backyard is tidy.