Ross Lyon slammed for ‘grubby’ Carlton ‘job interview’ on live TV

Ross Lyon has come under fire after his “job interview” on live TV during the week struck a nerve with those close to Carlton coach David Teague.

Ross Lyon is interested in the Carlton coaching job if it becomes available.

David Teague’s manager has slammed Ross Lyon’s “grubby” comments during an appearance on TV during the week as the Carlton coach’s future remains in limbo.

The Blues are expected to announce the findings of their internal review after commissioning a deep dive into the club's problems during yet another disappointing season in which they will once again miss the finals.

There’s been speculation Teague, who took over last year, will be shown the door.

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Speaking on Footy Classified on Wednesday night former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Lyon said he was willing to speak to Carlton if a position opened up.

“If an opportunity arose, and I say that with the greatest respect to Carlton, and they rang me, I would entertain it,” Lyon said. “But I also understand that I haven’t got tickets on myself, it’s a red-hot field, (Hawthorn’s) Alastair Clarkson is available.

“Certainly take the call (from Carlton) and consider it.

“To be honest if Leigh Matthews says you should coach again and then you read his article, there’s no one else in the AFL that’s coached two different clubs and taken them to grand finals, you can’t fluke that so we all do need some affirmation and it probably just lit the fuse a little bit.”

However, Teague’s manager Liam Pickering hit out at Lyon for conducting a “job interview” on live TV, and said he’d been told by the Blues they were waiting for the review to drop before having a meeting “on Sunday or Monday”, then making a call about their coach.

Ross Lyon may return to the coaching ranks.

“We have blokes going on television on Wednesday night jockeying for his job. I don’t know what that was from Ross Lyon, it was like a job interview to me,” Pickering told SEN Radio’s Off The Bench. “It was pretty grubby.

“I thought it was a grubby thing, it was a set-up interview. It was pretty poor really.

“I am 100 per cent (sure Ross Lyon has) had dialogue with Carlton already, he was talking very smugly the other night. He didn’t want to be disrespectful to David Teague and then went on a five-minute rant about why he’d be a great man for the job.

“I get angrier at this stuff than Teague does, I don’t think you treat people the way he’s been treated this year. It’s poor.”

Pickering’s comments come after he blew up earlier this month about the speculation around Teague’s future and whether he would be at the helm of Carlton in 2022.

“It’s been a vicious, deliberate and nasty attack on a young coach in my view,” Pickering said last weekend. “I think it’s been absolutely disgusting.

“They pick on a young coach who’s coached less than two full years and make it all about him.

“I think it’s a disgrace to be perfectly honest.”

David Teague is under enormous pressure.

Carlton suffered a humiliating 95-point loss to Port Adelaide last weekend and during the week Teague said the club had not “nailed” the execution of its review.

Teague, whose Blues are set to miss the finals for an eighth consecutive season, told reporters on Thursday he “absolutely” would have liked club officials to voice their support for him throughout the review process.

“I understand the review process and the commentary, I think at times there’s been some media and some journalism that’s just not true,” Teague said.

“Would I have loved some people from within the club to come out and back me up? Absolutely, I’m not going to lie.

“I love this footy club, don’t get me wrong, I understand the ‘why’. Have we nailed the process? I don’t think so. I think that’s clear; I think everyone would put their hand up to that.”

Originally published as Ross Lyon slammed for ‘grubby’ Carlton ‘job interview’ on live TV