Saints reunion tugs at Ross Lyon’s heart

Shayne Hope | October 20, 2022

Ross Lyon’s interest in returning to St Kilda is driven in part by the desire to rectify what he sees as a “disrespectful narrative” around the embattled AFL club.

Lyon is on the verge of being re-appointed coach of the Saints, 11 years after his shock defection to Fremantle and three years on from his sacking by the Dockers.

The move comes after St Kilda’s ruthless dismissal of Brett Ratten last week, less than 100 days after the club handed him a contract extension.

Lyon met several times with Saints president Andrew Bassat and chief executive Simon Lethlean this week.

The 56-year-old is intent on building credibility for St Kilda, who he twice led to losing grand finals during his previous five-year tenure.

The Saints are in the midst of the competition’s longest premiership drought, dating back to their only VFL flag in 1966.

“I’m keen,” Lyon told the Nine Network on Thursday.

“My heart’s been opened up to St Kilda through Andrew (Bassat) and Simon (Lethlean) and their board, and obviously I’ve got a strong connection (to the club), but there’s a bit to go.

“It was a tumultuous time, 11 years ago. From afar you watch and I don’t like the narrative around St Kilda.

“Maybe it’s deserved but sometimes it’s a bit disrespectful. Hopefully it can get to a point where I’m able to roll up the sleeves and help get in and change that.”

St Kilda’s treatment of Ratten was labelled “disgraceful” and “demeaning” by Ernie Merrick, who spent most of the 2022 season as a part-time coaching mentor at the club.

Ratten’s sacking was the result of a football department review during which Merrick backed the then-coach to keep his job.

“It’s been a difficult time for the club and obviously for Brett,” Lyon said.

“In elite sport around the world, as coaches we come and go a little bit.

“It’s brutal. I’ve been on the end of it (in the past), but sometimes clubs make decisions they think are best.

“You don’t always agree with them yourself but you need to respect them.”

Merrick, a two-time A-League championship coach who left St Kilda in August for a senior role at Football Australia, was interviewed as part of the Saints’ review this month.

He said he felt the decision on Ratten was a foregone conclusion and branded the sacking “one of the worst I’ve seen”.

“The CEO (Lethlean) I thought was very fair and honest … but I’m afraid (with) Andrew Bassat I felt the decision was already made,” Merrick told SEN radio on Thursday.

Merrick praised Ratten’s “excellent” relationship skills, saying he was “one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with”.

Addressing Ratten’s dismissal at a press conference last week, Bassat said St Kilda were seeking a coach who could bring a “ruthless commitment to football excellence” to the club.

Merrick said he had previously come across Lyon, declaring the three-time losing grand final boss a “very good coach”.

But he said he was not sure Lyon would bring “the change that’s going to make the difference” for the Saints.

“It’s really the stability and the recruitment of high-quality players and sticking with the same coach for a period of time who shows and proves what he can do, like Brett,” Merrick said.

“But I’ve certainly got nothing bad to say about Ross.”

Lyon led St Kilda to four straight finals series, including grand finals in 2009 and 2010, before his switch to Fremantle.

He guided the Dockers to their only grand final appearance in 2013 but was sacked in 2019 after four seasons without finals action.