AFL 2021: Ross Lyon not interested in coaching Collingwood and says he will consider Carlton role if approached
Ross Lyon snubbed Collingwood's interest due to a red flag. And it might have been a different story if Eddie McGuire remained at the club.
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Ross Lyon has told Collingwood he’s not interested in being Nathan Buckley’s replacement, preferring to put all his eggs in the Carlton basket.
The former St Kilda and Fremantle coach revealed Collingwood’s football boss Graham Wright had reached out through a third party to gauge his interest in the Magpies job.
“Informally Graham Wright reached out to a friend to get my number and I was aware that happened,” Lyon said. “I said respectfully I wouldn’t entertain that for a variety of reasons.”
When pressed on why he wouldn’t take the job at the biggest club in Melbourne, Lyon pointed to the instability with the current board.
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He also added that if his Footy Classified co-host Eddie McGuire was still Collingwood president he would have a different view about the job opportunity.
“Sometimes it’s just chemistry,” Lyon said. “I think there is instability . . .and I think Nathan is a bit unlucky.
“From the outside I just think ultimately successful clubs, North Melbourne, have got alignment where they are at and where they are going.
“If you see misalignment, it is a red flag.”
Lyon said he would take a call from Carlton if as expected they parted with David Teague next week on the back of a comprehensive external review of the club’s football operations.
“I would certainly take the call and consider it,” he said on Footy Classified. “I am aware there are enough Carlton people, famous Carlton people, premiership players, coaches, ex-champions that are advocating in a sense because they have worked with me and know me personally.
“I understand their club and there are those sort of connections.”
Lyon said he thought he was second in line for the Blues job with outgoing Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson the No.1 target to replace Teague.
“I haven’t got tickets on myself, it is a red hot field and Alastair Clarkson is one,” he said.
“With all the intelligence I have in the market place I have, I think that they will speak to Alastair at the right time, which is next week.
“David Teague is on the record as publicly saying he is struggling and all of us really need to respect that.
“And Carlton have been strong through (president) Mark LoGiudice that they are going through a process and they will review and make a decision
“I believe that is the way they are going.”
Lyon said a recent article by AFL coaching great Leigh Matthews suggesting he should return to the coaches’ box had sparked a re-think about his future.
“It did stimulate my thinking and so if an opportunity arose . . . with Carlton and they rang me I would entertain it,” he said.
“We all do need some affirmation and it probably lit the fuse a bit.”
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Originally published as AFL 2021: Ross Lyon not interested in coaching Collingwood and says he will consider Carlton role if approached
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