‘Never done that’: Bizarre moment Saints coach gifts fan corn chips packet

Ross Lyon has been seen handing over a mind-boggling item to a young fan as the St Kilda coach shows he is not who we thought he was.

Ross Lyon casually handing our corn chip packets. Photo: Twitter, St Kilda FC.

The used by date of ‘Ross the Boss’ may have expired.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is looking an entirely different man to the famously grouchy task master Fremantle and St Kilda fans previously saw.

Intentionally or not, Lyon showed exactly how different he is in 2023 with a bizarre moment involving a young fan after the Saints’ impressive win over Carlton on Sunday.

Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

The win established St Kilda as serious premiership contenders, with Dermott Brereton on Fox Footy saying the club were the surprise packet of the competition.

It is another packet entirely that has got fans talking.

The veteran mentor was seen handing over a packet of CCs corn chips to a young Saints fan as he walked onto the field following the win.

After a high five went awry, Lyon followed it up by handing over the crisps and nonchalantly moving on.

🚨 THIS IS NOT A DRILL 🚨

Ross gave away his winning CC’s packet to a lucky fan! pic.twitter.com/JJScsVwG9F

— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) April 23, 2023

The hilarious scene had AFL greats Cameron Mooney and Brereton giggling when speaking on Fox Footy’s First Crack.

Mooney joked Lyon had “never done anything like that in his life”, while Brereton said the Saints coach had “never been so friendly”.

Lyon has joked this year about how he has mellowed after spending three years away from the game following his departure from Fremantle.

He was also sharing a laugh with reporters last week after Ben Paton snubbed Jack Ginnivan when the Collingwood player asked to be helped back to his feet.

Ross Lyon casually handing out corn chip packets. Photo: Twitter, St Kilda FC.

Saints head coach Ross Lyon. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

­The one thing all footy commentators agree on this season is that Lyon is not the same man he was three years ago — and he may be exactly what the Saints need.

With St Kilda sitting on top of the ladder, it is hard to argue the club’s brutal decision to axe popular coach Brett Ratten to give Lyon the job was not a masterstroke.

The Saints were slammed at the time for the bloody nature of Ratten’s sacking — but the club is now enjoying the satisfaction that it may have been the right move all along.

Saints great Leigh Montagna said Saints president Andrew Bassat deserve credit for making the hard call.

“The decision to appoint Ross Lyon – it came with a lot of baggage,” Montagna said on Fox Footy.

“There was a lot of heat on Andrew Bassat and that footy club, we know it was a brutal call, it was a courageous call.

“But I think now we can say it was the right call – and the proof is now in the pudding.

“Andrew Bassat had some sleepless nights and there would’ve been a lot of people to jump down the club’s throat if it didn’t go well at the start … And to be fair, there were some cynical fans.

“A lot of St Kilda fans were divided about the return of Ross Lyon and whether his game plan was too defensive and the way that he left the club. But even those fans are now all on the same page and we’ve got a club that is united and on the same page.

“They’ve created a high-performance environment, which the club have craved, and they’re making the whole football club proud.”