Ross Lyon baits Essendon ahead of season-defining clash, referencing finals drought in radio interview
Ross Lyon has set the scene for a fiery clash with Essendon this weekend, referencing the Bombers lengthy finals drought during a radio interview on Monday where he declared he’d never coached better.
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His plane was about to take off, but Ross Lyon was already firing on all cylinders.
The Fremantle coach was about to head back to Perth to prepare for Fremantle’s clash with a besieged Essendon when, talking about his own situation, he took a swipe at the Bombers.
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“Some Melbourne clubs haven’t won a final in 15 years. We’ve been to a grand final, a prelim, top of the ladder,” Lyon said on Monday.
Deliberate strike or collateral damage? Whatever the case, this was as transparent as Lyon gets in public.
Speaking on SEN radio, Lyon said: “I feel like, in a real sense, I’ve never coached better. Like, the whole package with my systems, with my club, delegating, calmness, the whole bit.
“I personally think I’ve never been a better package and that’s why I’m enjoying it and I don’t tend to get wobbled so I’m fully committed.”
Lyon said his relationship with the Perth press remained a volatile one.
The 9-11 Dockers appear likely to narrowly miss out on a finals berth, with Lyon out of contract at the end of next season.
“I’ll probably be back page today with a noose around my neck but you get used to that,” he said.
“That’s what you sign up for. I spoke to the players the other week and with everything you go through, the rise is worth the fall.
“It doesn’t phase me one iota. Not one iota. If anything it focuses me. There’s clearly some people who think it wobbles me, but it certainly doesn’t.
“With everything I’ve been through since 2007, if they put the contract in front of me, I’d sign up again because it takes you to places you never dreamt of going. It stretches you as a person.
“With what we’ve got out. We’ve got eight or nine (players) out and we’re a thin list. We’re really competing quite well.”
Lyon said he took the blame for the narrow loss to St Kilda, saying his committed young side was learning to better execute in the big moments.
But with he and Dockers last year on the end of a 133-point loss to Geelong in which the Cats kicked 23 goals unanswered, Lyon said he knew how the Bombers were feeling ahead of Saturday night’s meeting.
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“They’ll fuel and steel themselves. We know they’re better than that. You don’t need much to go wrong,” he said.
“You talk about your effort not being dictated to by the scoreboard, but the further the scoreboard gets away, they’re only human and you’ve got to fight that psychological battle … particularly a young and fragile group that they were through injury.
“Football players are resilient, John’s (Worsfold) very resilient. They’re proud and they’ll come over fiercely, but we’re stinging as well.
“You’re going to see bodies flying from the first bounce.”
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