Caroline Wilson hits back at Garry Lyon over on-air claims about AFL stars’ family situations

Caroline Wilson has fired back at Garry Lyon after the footy icon slammed her comments about two AFL stars and their family situations.

Caroline Wilson has doubled down on her comments regarding the family situations of two St Kilda players on live TV.

The players in question — Seb Ross and Tim Membrey — missed out on the Saints’ nailbiting six-point loss to Adelaide on the weekend for family reasons, leading Wilson to comment on how disappointed fans and teammates would have been at their absence.

AFL legend Garry Lyon took aim at Wilson for her stance on the issue, which almost left him “speechless”.

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“So, Caro is suggesting she knows better than the Ross family? I would suggest that’s a conversation she would not want to have with Seb Ross’ wife and/or mother or family members that she has in her opinion said there are no medical problems,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast on Tuesday.

“How she can make a judgment on the family situation of a young mother with twins from afar and say, ‘Why didn’t they bow to peer pressure these blokes and stay?’

“I’m almost speechless with this one. To think you can sit there on national television and speak for the family, ‘I must stress there is no medical problem’. Oh really Caro? You stress that do you? You would know, would you?”

Lyon also reiterated the need for greater acceptance of sensitive issues around footy players.

“We are trying to have our minds around if a player says they need time out for whatever reason we go, ‘OK, there’s a great reason for that, we respect it, good luck’,” he said.

“If a player says they have a family issue, a baby pending, I need to be home — the footy world goes, ‘OK’. We’ve been conditioned to be much more empathetic.

“I’m almost speechless … they may need to take time away. It’s none of our business.

“If someone says they need to be at home with their family, good. We love you and we support you.

“Not, ‘Supporters, sponsors and everyone else is going to be disappointed with you’.”

Lyon believed Wilson was out of line with her comments about two St Kilda players.

However, Wilson stood her ground and fired back at Lyon.

“I will not apologise for basically saying what I think is a perfectly reasonable conversation,” Wilson said on the Don’t Shoot The Messenger podcast.

“They (the Saints) have had so many issues like this, in the view of people at the footy club … I would even question whether Seb Ross will be at the footy club next year.

“I think this is a legitimate story and a legitimate talking point.

“My point is, whether or not he was completely justified in doing what he did, this was a terrible time for the football club.

“Had Membrey and Ross been playing, I think they would have won the game and that is the view of most people in footy.

“If there’s a medical emergency, of course they shouldn’t be there and it’s only a game.

“My point here is, there was a blurred line in the minds of people in the AFL and St Kilda, if only Seb had decided to stay and play.

“We’ve all had those situations, but when you sign on to play AFL footy, I think you need to think pretty carefully about the contracts you’re signing and what you’re doing.”

Caroline Wilson has come under fire for her take on the St Kilda situation.

Ross reportedly left to be with his partner, who gave birth to twins about five weeks ago, while Membrey skipped the clash in Cairns as his wife prepares to give birth shortly.

Both players flew home after St Kilda’s defeat to Sydney at the SCG two weekends ago.

Wilson said “there was no medical emergency” with regards to the players’ families, adding she would question the decision of two senior stars to miss such an important game as St Kilda’s season hangs in the balance, particularly as she revealed the pair had been encouraged to stay on.

“It is a very odd situation when you have two leaders of the club, particularly one where the babies were born five or six weeks ago, to leave when this was probably their last shot at making finals,” Wilson said on Monday night.

“I think supporters and sponsors and members and other teammates would have every right to be a bit disappointed.”