Now that the shock and outrage concerning Ross Lyon’s defection to Fremantle has cooled, the real questions now turn towards the futures of both clubs hit by the ‘great coaching coup of 2011’.
For St Kilda, the burning question is not whether they should sign former star Robert Harvey as senior coach, but for how long and on what contract.
For Freo, it’s simply “How long till we get the premiership we just paid for?”
Make no mistake, Fremantle did not grab Ross Lyon for his marketing appeal.
Despite Lyon’s comments on Fremantle only having four top-flight players including skipper Matthew Pavlich and man mountain Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle’s list of youngsters looks like the real deal.
And Lyon looks to be the man to bring out the best in them.
The likes of Garrick Ibbotson, Anthony Morabito, Matthew De Boar, Hayden Ballantyne, Nathan Fyfe and mature aged Tendai Mzungu look like future midfield and forward stars, and as always the clubs ruck division, built around Sandilands and young and upcoming Zac Clarke, looks like its greatest strength.
The club’s older players are also at a perfect age to aid these youngsters, with only three (Pavlich, McPhee and Grover) totaling 200-plus games and seven first-choice players (Bradley, Crowley, Johnson, McPharlin, Mundy, Schammer and Sandilands) in the ideal 100 to 200-game window.
If Lyon genuinely doesn’t rate his list, the Fremantle hierarchy do, or else they wouldn’t pay so much for a coach to take this list to that last day in September.
For my mind, Freo’s list is perfectly balanced, and if they manage to settle a deal with Brisbane over 2009 all Australian ruckman/forward Mitch Clarke, and the rumours on their proposed trade for Port Adelaide bad boy/live wire forward Daniel Motlop are true (and barring any more injuries than this year, which seems statistically impossible), Fremantle are perfectly placed to charge to the top four in earnest.
Maybe there’s something in the water over in the west, because an Eagles-esque ‘revival-after-disastrous-year’ looks certain.
Across the country at St Kilda headquarters, the top Saints must be looking for some damage-control.
An aging, seemingly under-committed and distracted list at the beginning of the year, looked on the mend come finals time, but this coaching disaster has set the club – let alone the playing group – back by five years.
Now the rebuild must begin, with fresh blood and excitement, and perhaps an off-season centred around hard work and not controversy.
For the club’s PR department, a coach like Harvey could have a James Hird at Essendon like-effect, uniting fans.
But perhaps more importantly, Harvey, out of love for the club that bore him through 300-plus stellar games, will make the hard calls the club needs.
A clear out of the club’s list, aggressive trading and recruiting are what the club needs – perhaps not what anyone attached wants, but then rebuilding is never a very fan-friendly experience.
Under a familiar face, however, it may be easier for the fans and sponsors to swallow the bitter pill.
Fremantle’s move was cut-throat but brilliant, and will see them emerge as this season’s smokey for the flag.
For St Kilda, Lyon’s defection must be swiftly forgotten, and the real, hard work must now begin – and Harvey is the man to get that done, not because he’s the best coach for football, but the best coach for the Saints.
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