AFL 2025: St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says Saints must ‘earn the right’ to ask for more MCG games
St Kilda will play a rare home game at the MCG, and coach Ross Lyon knows performances – not pleas – will determine if there’s more.
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St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says the Saints have to “earn the right” to request more home games at the MCG through weight of watchable performances.
The Saints, who defeated Fremantle at Marvel Stadium in a rather dull spectacle last weekend, host Carlton this Friday night in a rare home game at the MCG.
The match is the annual “Spud’s Game” in honour of the late, great and “quintessential St Kilda man” Danny Frawley.
Lyon said the Saints were keen to play more games at the MCG but admitted they were “not at that level” to make stern requests yet.
“I’ve been here before and we built out a great team. We’re trying to build out a great team with great performances and in the end you command it,” he said.
“Show me the reward, I will show you the behaviour, right? We know the AFL reward on broadcasters, crowd and really good performances.
“You’ve got to earn that right and that’s what we’re aiming to do – in the end you can demand it by a performance over a period of time.
“We’re not at that level and as a club we haven’t been at that level for a decade. We were under Grant Thomas, that era under me, there’s been slippage but we’re clawing back up the mountain.”
St Kilda will get a close look at its prized trade target when brilliant Blue Tom De Koning lines up at the centre bounce on Friday.
Lyon shrugged off questions about his players making comment to De Koning about being a Saint in 2026, saying it is an “extraneous” topic he won’t get involved in.
“I am here to talk about St Kilda players and St Kilda performances, I don’t get caught up in the wider issue,” he said.
“It’s low on my list of priorities, to be honest, I’ve got my hands full preparing for St Kilda against Carlton. I don’t live in the space of trying to impress other people.
“We just do what we do, and I am here to solely focus on my players and make sure they’re safe. We coach action and we see possibility in them and we perform for our fans and our members and the Danny Frawley Spud’s Game.
“Extraneous issues sitting outside of that, I understand there’s noise but I haven’t dived into it all year and I don’t think I’ll dive into it now.”
Lyon paid homage to “Spud” Frawley, saying his traits are values the Saints strive for every day.
“I really encourage all the Saints fans to get there, get behind ‘Spud’s Game’. I think the whole AFL community gets behind it, it’s a great venue,” he said.
“Spud was a quintessential St Kilda person, played with real spirit, loved the club, nothing was too much trouble, played with passion, great physicality.
“We would like to display all of that as a team: great passion, great physicality, but it’s really the wider message … you’re not on your own, do it together, reach out if you’re not OK.”
Originally published as AFL 2025: St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says Saints must ‘earn the right’ to ask for more MCG games
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