Pre-Match thoughts
Well its only taken two rounds for “master’ coach Lyon to revert to his alter ego ‘Captain Smarm’ during this week’s press conference.
Myself and thousands of other ageing Saints fans find ourselves in the problematic position of loving our club with all our heart but having an intense dislike for our coach.
It wasn’t the case in 2008-2010 when his actions did the talking, but its apparent since his return to Moorabbin that he has more distractions prepared than Trump in a press conference.
His targets are always female and cub reporters who it must be said do deliver inane questions at times but he treats them with nothing other than contempt with a nasty intent, as opposed to letting the questions go through to the keeper.
This week he suggested that life was so much tougher in the elite world of AFL footy under such scrutiny when you earn a million dollars a year, rather than the world of journalism or anything for that matter (front line workers, nurses, teachers etc), a world he described as being mediocre.
The poor kid had nowhere to go. I would have asked Lyon “where does he rate after nearly twenty years of senior coaching and never having won a flag? Elite or mediocre?”
The sad thing is that there are people in the AFL and Saints community that fawn over him. Lyon and his tribe actually think his disrespect and sarcasm is funny! It’s embarrassing how little he is challenged by the so called experts in the media and by the club.
Anyway, some good changes this week with Rowan Marshall and Liam Stocker coming in for Jack McCrae and Isaac Keeler who both looked average last week.
No changes for GWS which could be a horrible omen before we start however Bedford, Taylor, Kelly, Cadman, Daniels and Tom Green are all guns out injured.
I’m a closet fan of GWS and admire all their players who have stayed and not moved to WA, SA and Vic clubs. They’ve built a strong culture in an AFL desert and have been stiff not to have a flag in their young history.
The Saints had Adam Kingsley under their nose for eight years as an assistant, then let him go to Richmond where he assisted in three premierships. (insert profanity)
Saints could have an advantage with TDK over Briggs with the new ball up rules. TDK was apparently crook and tested late before last weeks smashing from Max Gawn. It will still be a huge challenge for the mids up against quality like Callahan, Oliver and Greene.
The Saints forwards need a massive shake up if they are going to be competitive. Forwards so often can control the temperature of the team with their effort and it wasn’t there the past two weeks given the number of inside 50’s they received.
I’m tipping it will be close and like every other game this season, it will be quick and open. The new discipline around the stand rule has made a significant difference to the speed and ball movement in games.
If it gets close and physical, expect to see Toby Greene and Hugo Garcia exchange jumper punches and push the boundaries of what is acceptable in unduly rough play these days. Saints by 2 points.
1st Qtr
30 min delay due to lightning and rain has arrived.
TDK and Marshall terrorising Briggs. Angwin doing a good job on NAS whilst Garcia isn’t just beating Callaghan, he is creating through the midfield majorly. Vision of Kingsley absolutely going off in the box and you can’t blame him with a fairly lifeless performance from his Giants so far. There’s a big improvement from the Saints forwards today in terms of forward 50 turnovers including two excellent handballs from Sharman. Saints winning contested possession by 17. Tauru has gone forward this week and Higgins looks very dangerous. Wilson running amok. The Giants are using a zone defence, which we called ‘loose’ in the 80’s but they are allowing too much room. No doubt Kingsley will be ‘teeing off’ in the huddle and Lyon would be pleased with the effort so far.
2nd Qtr
Halfway through the Qtr the Giants finally woke up but the Saints to their credit didn’t drop off. The GWS work-rate lifted and key players like Briggs and Oliver started having an influence. Saints dominating centre clearances but GWS fighting back at stoppages. NAS is slowly breaking the tag but got ahead of himself late in the qtr and left Angwin unattended on a wing and he duly goaled. The most important skill a footballer must have is clean hands and slippery days like this separate the wheat from the ‘charf’. One player who has been outstanding in that regard and may well be having a breakthrough game is Garcia who has not only shutdown Callaghan to nine possessions but has shown enormous composure. It’s always a bad sign when players continue to argue with umpires and that’s what we saw with GWS that Qtr. Their head hasn’t been in the game.
3rd Qtr
Almost complete dominance from GWS beating the Saints 50 entries by 20. Fortunately for the Saints they only conceded two goals led by Wilkie who has thrashed Hogan. GWS’s intensity and at times tsunami were back but couldn’t capitalise. Ashe had thirteen disposals from half back and was instrumental in the change. When they got within 22 points of the Saints, Ryan who has been very quiet kicked an absolute cracker. What an intriguing footballer he is. Hopefully GWS wore themselves out a bit going in that Qtr.
4th Qtr
Again the Saints defence is under the pump as Oliver kicks a ‘mung’ from 50 and goals. Quickly followed up from some brilliance from Toby and Gothard goals. Wood kicks a ripper from the boundary to settle the Saints and after a messy period of fumbling and fatigue, Stringer nails one then Thomas capitalises on a sloppy clearance from Sharman. Difference 10 points with a minute to go. The previously unsighted Hogan marks and goals. Saints up by 4 points with twenty seconds to go!! (insert profanity). Full time and I’m having the defibrillator pads removed from my chest.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.3 3.6 5.13 10.14 (74)
ST KILDA 5.4 8.8 10.10 11.12 (78)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Hogan 2, Gothard 2, Thomas, Stringer, Rowston, Oliver, Gruzewski, Angwin
St Kilda: Tauru 2, Higgins 2, Wood, Wilson, Ryan, Phillipou, Owens, Hill, Hall
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Ash, Callaghan, Oliver, Whitfield Coniglio
St Kilda: Sinclair, Wilson, Wanganeen-Milera, Wilkie, De Koning
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
St Kilda: Caminiti (hamstring)
Crowd: TBC at Engie Stadium
Saints were lucky to get away with this one. GWS dominated the stats after half time and they will be ruing their slow start. Ash was the pick for GWS with an outstanding game based on raw speed. Callaghan worked his way back but wasn’t as influential as he can be. GWS have a host of injuries to key players so you can expect they will still be a force this year.
Of the new recruits at the Saints the best was Silvagni who found his groove today. TDK should have imposed himself today but we need to be patient I guess. Flanders needs to kick with more power and lower the trajectory. Too fluffy at the moment. Ryan is a freak and is building. He looks fitter than he has ever been so I hope he can become the amazing player we know he can be. Our forward line and its connection with the midfield is the problem. I’m still not sure we plucked the right King twin from the cot but we need Max fit asap.
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About Ian Wilson
Former army aircraft mechanic, sales manager, VFA footballer and coach. Now mental health worker and blogger. Lifelong St Kilda FC tragic and father to 2 x girls.
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Bit harsh on Lyon. He’s a far better coach than Richardson or Ratten.
I couldn’t care less about his personality, compared to Richardson or Ratten.
I love Ross Lyon as St Kilda’s coach.
Would have been very unlucky to lose, having led all day.
Well done St Kilda and all the coaching staff,.
Thought Ross Lyon handled his after match press conference brilliantly. The journalists in the press conference are trying to catch him out and he won’t have a bar of it. He has a Media Manager. Good on you Ross!
I liked how he made his after match press conference down to only 5 minutes, as the match was delayed by lightning and St Kilda had to get back to Victoria.
I can’t speak more highly of Ross Lyon. Since he came back to St Kilda in 2023, it was an absolutely brilliant coaching performance by him to get St Kilda into the finals in 2023, against all the odds, without a great list and several injuries to their best players during 2023.
Now that he has a better list at St Kilda, the future for Ross Lyon at St Kilda is looking very bright.
You could say the lightning before the match gave St Kilda the spark they needed!
Perfect opening pars. Such an odd position to be in: wanting the club to succeed while knowing it never will while this increasingly unlikeable coach stays in place.
The Reappointment of Ross Lyon. Started out as one of Conan Doyle’s greatest mysteries before ending up as a Stephen King horror.
This is to be sung to the chorus of “Let’s Hang On”, by The Four Seasons, hoping that NW-M recommits to St Kilda again at the end of 2027:
Let’s hang on to our 4 point win
Don’t go Nas, you’re our Dustin Martin
There’s a 2nd flag believe us
(Hang on, hang on, hang on)
To the Nas we’ve got
(Don’t hope, don’t think, do-do)
St Kilda’s current predicament got me thinking about doing a song to the tune of “When Will I See You Again”, by the Three Degrees.
When will St Kilda be Premiers again?
When will Max King play in the seniors?
Will we have to wait forever?
Will we have to suffer? (Suffer)
And cry that Ben King’s a Sun too?
When will St Kilda be Premiers again?
When will our game plan come together?
Are we going to do another recruiting spend?
Is this the beginning of where our flag drought ends?
When will St Kilda be Premiers again?
When will see Max King again?
When will he play like his brother Ben?
Hah, hoo
(Precious Moments)
Willo,
There is just something – nay there are plenty of things – that I don’t like about Ross Lyon.
But he is obviously rated highly than smarter football brains than mine.
St Kilda’s season (whether good, and or otherwise) will be one of the stories of 2026.
Ross Lyon was very careful in his press conference yesterday in the aftermath of St Kilda beating GWS last Saturday.
I thought he really warmed up to a female reporter and was very friendly with her. Once again, reporters were trying to catch him out with questions unrelated to the upcoming game itself against Brisbane.
To Ross Lyon’s credit, he mentioned equity in access to elite talent, which is extremely important. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. The system isn’t set up for teams like St Kilda to get access to elite talent.
Even the 4 time premiership coach in Alastair Clarkson has recently been complaining about the same issues that North Melbourne has, like St Kilda’s.
Also, the free agents more often than not end up going to the bigger, more successful clubs, who play on bigger grounds, with bigger crowds.
The system is also currently designed to make the expansion clubs more successful than the smaller Victorian clubs.
Ross and Alastair, keep standing up for your clubs until changes occur for the better.
To the tune of the Brisbane Lions Football Club Song:
Our coach has returned to town,
He’s back in the fold.
He’s coached St Kilda to many victories,
Like our players don’t need to be told.
Ratten was the coach to fall,
Lyon answered our President’s call.
Ross Lyon, Ross Lyon,
He knows his stats and scores.
A flag is now in store!
Ross Lyon was nearly a 2 time premiership coach in 2009 and the 2010 Drawn Grand Final.
It’s so hard to win premierships, unless you have superior players than your opposition. Ask Alastair Clarkson, who had the players at Hawthorn, but not at North Melbourne, as yet.
In the last 20 years as a coach, I rate Ross Lyon as St Kilda’s best coach since Allan Jeans. I rate him as Fremantle’s best coach, after got them to their only Grand Final to date in 2013, and other clubs had better lists than Fremantle that year. Other clubs had better lists than St Kilda in 2009 and 2010.
I have seen Ross Lyon leave many questions go through to the keeper. He would much rather prefer to answer questions relevant to the game itself. I am also aware that his Media Manager advisies him on the type of questions he should answer, or not answer.
If the newspapers write anything personal about him, or articles that damage his reputation, he can sue them. I don’t think Ross Lyon reads the FA!