St Kilda coach Ross Lyon slams AFL rules over runners

Fresh off an upset loss to Hawthorn, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was keen to express a wild message about AFL runners.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has described restrictions on runners relaying messages to players as being “like neutered dogs” after his side’s season hit a precipice with Saturday’s five-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston.

While Lyon acknowledged the Hawks were cleaner when it counted, and the Saints were too passive in the first half, he vented his frustration at being unable to relay more messages to players in the dying moments of the 8.10 (58) to 7.11 (53) loss.

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The AFL has increased the number of times a runner can relay messages this year from twice a quarter and after goals, to four times and after goals.

But that hasn’t appeased Lyon, who is in his second season back at the Saints.

“I’m happy for the AFL to hear this, and it’s not an excuse, but we’ve had a lot of tight games,” he said in his post-match press conference, which you can see in the video player above.

“We get four messages a quarter and with three minutes to go you can’t send the runner (out).

“In my previous iterations you could use the runner almost at will. You see things you want to fix and things you want to do and people say kick more goals and you get those opportunities but it’s still limited.

“From my end I find it incredibly frustrating and I think there’d be a lot of coaches (who agree).

Former Suns runner Rhyce Shaw and St Kilda coach Ross Lyon. Photos: Michael Klein/Getty Images

“It’s not an excuse but if you think about the pressure (on coaches) that goes on, you can pick up the phone, shift some stuff and maybe score better.

“It’s interesting. We’re like neutered dogs right, we can sit there and see stuff and you can’t fix it. It’s very difficult, but it’s not an excuse.”

Asked what he thought the message number should be, Lyon said: “I don’t know what the number is, but I’m tipping it’s more than four.

“I’m talking about it behind closed doors but today is a bit of a tipping point, it’s just hard.”

At one point Lyon briefly left the coaches box and headed to the bench to relay messages to his players.

St Kilda were guilty of not taking the game on in the first half and Lyon wants his team to be more willing to die by the sword.

Ross Lyon felt he struggled to get his messages across during the loss to Hawthorn. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

They did so in the third term, but squandered chances and managed to kick just 1.5 for the quarter.

“I spoke at halftime I didn’t like how we were playing. There was a mundaneness to it, a sameness,” he said.

“I said ‘we’re better than that, let’s get some run and overlap and go, be bold’.

“We had 16 entries (in the third quarter) and thought the kids started using their legs. Even though we stuffed a couple up, that’s where we want to be more.”

Lyon said Max King, who kicked two goals but had minimal impact, is a victim of St Kilda’s hesitant mindset.

Jack Scrimshaw (15) and Blake Hardwick (right) celebrate during Hawthorn’s upset victory. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I said we’d rather play the way we did against Essendon with plenty of sizzle. I don’t like how we’re playing at the minute,” he said.

“We don’t sit them down with placards saying don’t take the game on. You’ve got to drive the car and go quick, but to be honest I’d rather go over the hill again.

“I’d like to have a bit more than we’re displaying at the minute, it doesn’t sit very comfortably.

“Criticism will come and that’s fair enough. People will go after Max King, but I think he’s systematic of those problems.

“It’s a mindset and a quick fix. We might overcorrect and open ourselves up a bit, but I’d rather that than what’s happening at the minute to be fair.”