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What a sporting coup the signing of Ross Lyon has been for the Fremantle Football Club. The fact he was signed without knowledge of his ‘management’ goes to show how much can be accomplished when you cut out the middle man in the cutthroat world of the AFL.
2011 wasn’t a good year for the St Kilda or Freo.
After finishing the home-and-away in sixth spot, the Saints bowed out with a loss to eventual premiers of 2012, Sydney.
That sealed the deal. The Saints were on the demise.
The Dockers didn’t even make the finals, finishing 11th at season’s end.
St Kilda just missed out in contentious fashion with the tied grand final in 2010, but that was the peak of their glory.
The resulting match-up in grand final two was a white-wash, not something synonymous with the Ross Lyon game plan. Collingwood were simply more driven.
2011 wasn’t a good year for old coaches: Chris Scott won a flag in his first year, Mick Malthouse was tossed to the side and Ross Lyon signed on with Freo after Mark Harvey’s sacking.
Or should I say, Mark Harvey was sacked when Ross signed the paperwork.
Harvey has since moved to the Lions with mixed results but finished well as stand-in coach, one point off three from three.
I love ‘Harvs’ the man but Fremantle’s record 2011 versus 2013, where we saw both lists struck with injury, speaks volumes.
In 2013, finished third, whereas 2011 was the catalyst to give Harvey the old heave-ho.
The man who finds himself in the hot seat to coach the embattled Essendon Football Club for 2014, but has voiced his reluctance and unwillingness to take on a senior coaching position (again due to his sacking), built a list that is on the verge of greatness.
Hats off but, if what I have heard is true, he was never going to be the man to bring Freo their first flag.
Enter the boss. In two years he has delivered what no other coach (all rookies) has been able to do: consecutive finals.
Despite a list that has suffered big holes due to injury for most of the season he managed to do what no one has ever been able to do, beat the Cats two years in a row during week one of the finals.
This result has rocketed Fremantle into the favourites to make the grand final. Not to mention making a mockery of Geelong’s home-and-away record.
What Ross has managed to do with his list, built by past and current servants of the club, is make a team ready to take out its first ever flag.
Against all odds he took his third placed team and beat the second placed team in their fortress. Beating teams above in the regular season isn’t as important as beating them in the finals.
Freo now only need beat Sydney (a team the Dockers drew with away) to make the last weekend in September.
That will leave a potential match-up against Geelong or Hawthorn. And with Freo’s recent games against the former, it leaves only the Hawks as a significant hurdle to the elusive first premiership.
Can readers remember the Dockers’ final record against that team?
Bruce McAvaney remarked this week St Kilda were in the wrong to lose Ross. Ironic that his uncle played for South Fremantle?
Ross now has the cattle to do what he failed to do at the Saints – win a flag. Only two games stand in his way.
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