St Kilda coach Ross Lyon defends call to keep injured rookie Darcy Wilson on after collision as a ‘statement of our culture’
When Darcy Wilson stayed out on the ground after being winded in a collision with George Wardlaw on Saturday it wasn’t to avoid an HIA test but a statement of the Saints culture according to Ross Lyon.
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Ross Lyon was brazen enough to call out his rival clubs earlier this year for letting Darcy Wilson fall all the way to the No.18 overall pick.
As Lyon said, they didn’t rate the contested side of his game despite Wilson’s reputation as one of the best runners football had ever seen.
On Saturday Lyon got the proof he had the physical courage to go with the bravery it takes to push through the pain barrier when your body is screaming for a rest.
As he and North Melbourne hard nut George Wardlaw collided in a crunching body-on-body hit, the St Kilda trainers attempted to get a bruised Wilson off the ground for assessment.
Lyon wanted to make a stand.
Not for Lyon the “namby pamby” kid gloves approach when an old school method could be applied.
With his player having avoided any hit to the head he was desperate for him to stay on the ground in a symbolic call about what St Kilda stands for.
On a day when Jimmy Webster returned from a seven-week ban for a cheap hit this was Lyon’s statement about St Kilda’s “culture”.
He said any suggestion he had tried to keep Wilson on the ground so he avoided a HIA test was “mischievous” — putting one and one together to “get a million”.
“He is a young player that is playing pretty good football and the knock on him was about his contest but we have seen someone who competes. I thought it was a big contest, the doc said he was winded and they indicated he was fine,” Lyon said.
“I said if he can stay on and he’s fine to stay on then let him stay on. It makes a statement
“We are a club that wants to build success and doesn’t want to get beaten on culture so that’s the culture we want, that is the 50-50 attack on the ball. The ball not the man.
“So if you can stay on and you did what I asked you to do, and it was a big effort you would want to stay on too. The docs would like to get them off but if they can stay on, they stay on.
“That was the question. If he’s right to stay on let’s not be “namby pamby” and wrap him up and get him off when the kid deserved to stay on.”
On Saturday against North Melbourne round 6 Rising Star nominee Wilson had more contested possessions than uncontested for the first time in his eight-game career.
His 21-possession, three goal performance backed up last week’s 21-touch clear-clearance game for a player who also made telling interventions into the Richmond victory at Norwood Oval.
While the Saints took a half to overcome the Roos Lyon is expecting to have ex-Fremantle winger Liam Henry straight back into the team next week after a round 3 hamstring injury.
“Henry will be available next week, Hunter Clark will play (VFL) so we are really looking to build out our midfield a bit more than what we have had,” Lyon said.
“I would suggest Liam Henry would come straight back in. He trained well today, played super against Collingwood and Geelong. He brings much needed skill and decision making and speed.”
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