St Kilda have officially named Ross Lyon as its senior coach, ending weeks of speculation.
The 55-year old previously coached the Saints between 2007 and 2011, during which he made and lost grand finals in 2009 and 2010, before leaving in acrimonious circumstances to join Fremantle.
Lyon has worked in the media since being sacked by the Dockers in late 2019, but was widely expected to re-join the Saints following the sacking of Brett Ratten two weeks ago.
He has signed a four-year contract that ties him to the club until the end of 2026.
“My motivation for coming back is to position the club to win a premiership,” Lyon said in a message on St Kilda’s social media.
“I want to change the narrative, and be a respected force in the AFL.
“I am back in our 150th year for unfinished business.”
Speaking to the media on Monday, Lyon revealed the prospect of returning to the club he first joined 16 years ago left him ‘very emotional’, and confirmed that he was prepared to take up the gauntlet once again.
“For a long time, there’s been St Kilda – even when I was coaching at Fremantle, there was a lot of noise about me coming back to St Kilda,” he said.
“There’s a lot of influential families around St Kilda that I do have relationships with that always spoke about the romance. It was never on my radar.
“It’s a privilege to be back… once this opportunity started to open up, I reflected on the special bonds and friendships I have with past players and staff that I’ve maintained since 2007 and my departure.
“I presented to the board and I got very emotional.
“It sort of unleashed a lot of memories – there were a lot of highs and a lot of lows – but it’s really validated how I felt about the club, if there was any doubt.
“We all know that AFL coaching’s incredibly challenging, it takes you to places sometimes men or women shouldn’t go, but I’m really up for the fight. I feel like I’m ready to take the emotional risk to give everything without any guarantee.”
Lyon also revealed that a phone call from AFL legend Leigh Matthews, who won four premierships as coach with Collingwood and Brisbane alongside a glittering playing career, helped convince him that he was throwing his hat in the ring for the right reasons.
“Leigh Matthews… he rang me during the week, out of the blue, unsolicited,” he said.
“I shared a little bit, and he said ‘You don’t wake up one day and think ‘I want to coach AFL football’. Because when you’ve been through it, you know the highs and you know the lows. You know the challenges. You know the hot seat you’re in and you know the expectation.
“He didn’t push me. There was no ‘do it, don’t do it’, but it’s nice to have someone that really understands. They are incredible, coveted, rare jobs, but when you’ve been in there, it’s like a kid going to the dentist – it’s hard to go back.
“But the highs, walking on the MCG, 100,000 people, prelim finals, winning them, grand finals, big games at both clubs.”
Lyon also cited inspiration from Geelong premiership coach Chris Scott and Magpies boss Craig McRae, praising their approach to coaching and vowing to follow suit.
“I loved listening to Craig McRae [this year] – let’s get as good as we can, as quick as we can,” Lyon said.
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“Chris Scott, every year it’s a blank canvas; Chris Scott, if my players don’t want me, I’ll go. I’ve been strong in delivery, but it’s a blank canvas here.”
While Lyon hasn’t coached at AFL level in three years, he credits his work in the media for Channel 9 and Triple M for keeping him well acquainted with the game’s nuances, as well as the many changes implemented since departing the Dockers.
“I think the design of the game’s come back to me,” he said.
“The game was stilted, the double guarding the mark, you had to go around and back and probe. Now you can go, you can play an up-tempo brand.
“In my due diligence I’ve done a lot on the club, in the background… one thing I do know, these boys can really run. So that gives us the capacity to play a brand that can go.”
For Lyon, the lure of becoming just the Saints’ second-ever premiership coach, having fallen heartbreakingly short in 2009 and 2010, was extra incentive to jump aboard and attempt to end the torment of the league’s longest-suffering fans.
“In my coaching resume, there’s unfinished business,” he said.
“Fremantle need to win a flag, here it’s since ’66. It’s an Everest that can be climbed, needs to be climbed, and I’d like to be the person to do that with the group.
“The aim is to build something that’s sustainable, and a game plan that, in the end, we can get to where we want to be. I don’t like the narrative around St Kilda, I haven’t enjoyed it at all.
Lyon isn’t concerned about the much-criticised Saints’ list, saying the playing group at his disposal has never troubled him before and wouldn’t in his third stint as a league coach.
“I see possibility in everyone, I give trust until it’s broken,” Lyon said.
“I didn’t look at the list when I got the job here, I didn’t look at it when I got to Fremantle, I didn’t look at it here.
“If you get the right people making the right decisions, it can turn around quickly. We want to go down and give 100 per cent effort 100 per cent of the time for our members and ourselves.”
Reflecting on his ugly split with the Saints in 2011, when he unceremoniously exercised a get-out clause in his contract with one season remaining to sign with Freo, Lyon argued he ‘would do the same’ now.
“Under the same circumstances, I would do the same, but it was a very difficult thing to,” Lyon said.
“I had a reputation about what I was for a long time – and I really liked that. It did change that, even though I don‘t think it was justified, but there was a huge price to pay.
“I think it changed the course of the events in the history of this club as well. I didn‘t get to exit those champion players in the manner I believe they should have been. There‘s lots of people that paid a price for that.
“But in saying that, we’re all as good as our next moment. It’s a wonderful opportunity.
“There’s no victory lap here… this is just the starting gun going off. Everyone at the club’s got to do some heavy lifting here.”
Saints president Andrew Bassat said he was ‘delighted’ with the appointment, revealing more details about the club’s ‘very painful’ split with Ratten.
“While his coaching record and reputation as a leader speaks for itself, Ross also shares with our members a love for our club and a deep desire to see it respected and celebrated,” Bassat said of Lyon’s appointment.
“The decision on our previous coach was made on the Thursday night of our board meeting. The review had been very clear about what direction we needed, and we gave Brett the opportunity to outline his vision.
“Parting ways with Brett was very painful, and we again thank him for everything he gave to our club.
“Our first choice was Ross Lyon, and we did run the risk of not getting him. I contacted him immediately after our last press conference, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to get our man.”
With a winning record of 65.91 per cent across 110 games in his first stint at the Saints, Lyon is the most successful coach in the club’s history.
Only inaugural premiership coach Allan Jeans (185 wins) has coached the perennial strugglers to more victories than Lyon’s 71, with his five finals wins, including preliminary final triumphs in 2009 and 2010 over the Western Bulldogs, second only to Jeans’ eight as well.
ScottD
Roar Guru
I think most Freo supporters have an ambivalent relationship with Ross. They were happy with him while he was here but most recognised it was time for him to leave and like having JL here now. There's certainly no active "anti Ross" going on .
ScottD
Roar Guru
Fair enough. Good to see you have the stats :) cheers
me too
Roar Rookie
"During the 2012 season, his career achievements began to gain widespread recognition. Milne is only the 5th non-key position forward to kick more than 500 goals in the history of AFL/VFL football. He is the only player shorter than 180 cm to kick more than 500 goals since Kevin Bartlett in the 1980s. He was described during 2012 as one of the best small forwards ever to play AFL football." Compare his stats - his record puts him up there with any small forward, above most we think of. His reputation off the field meant he never received the accolades until the end of his career.
Realist
Roar Rookie
I like Ross. He's not everyone's cup of tea but you cannot criticise his coaching record. I think he can only improve this StKilda outfit but hopefully not by employing his usual overly defensive approach to the game style. A more attacking brand of football is the current flavour.
ScottD
Roar Guru
MT This is stephen milne, possibly the greatest small forward in the game I think that is drawing a pretty long bow.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Hmm maybe each year they can play of for the right to be known as "The Boss" until next time they play again.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Only one Boss therefore what happens to Voss the Boss when we have Ross “The Boss” it’s a tricky one :stoked:
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder than Hord being up for the esswndon job, saints pull this one. Nothing against Ross as personally I think hes a good coach and had been saying for a year or two about his attacking weakness to just give him an assistant like Sydney did by adding pyke with horse but again after the fiasco feom 11years ago and the negative feelings towards Ross from most saints supporters this has to be the biggest suprise of the year if not decade.lol.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I'd suggest a lot of teams are hoping they'll double against the Saints. I don't think they'll be that good next year.
WCE
Roar Rookie
Nat fluff will be upset
me too
Roar Rookie
they resigned him knowing there was a six month termination clause because he had insisted at start of year when they held contract talks they'd make a decision by mid-season. They held off at start of year because they had question marks, but were 8-3 at mid-season and so the right thing was to sign. by end of Aug they were sounding out lyon. There was a fair bit more going on in the background with ratts and the players - evident in our attitude in the field. in the end it was the only smart decision to make. Keeping ratts would have seen a disaster in 2023.
ScottyJ
Roar Rookie
Hoping we get to double up against them.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Indeed Don. The AFL , and other clubs I'm sure, would like to see these coaches lift their respective sides. It is a competition where every club should be competitive. Nothing worse than clubs looking at the roster preseason and ticking off easy wins. And so many ridicule the Eagles . They all have short memories. This club will find it's way back
Macca
Roar Rookie
So they re-signed Ratten in july and immediately got Lyon on board to replace him?
Chum
Roar Rookie
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
O M
Roar Rookie
Great photo of Ross....reminds me of Hippety Hopper from Looney Tunes!
me too
Roar Rookie
Saints can't say so, but you think they sacked ratten without already sounding lyon out months before. let's just say lenny would have known what was coming before selling up in sydney and moving back.
me too
Roar Rookie
This is stephen milne, possibly the greatest small forward in the game, who kicked a record 61 goals in 2005, under grant thomas? Happy for lyon to return, team needs much more accountability, but let's not re-invent history. All lyon did was drop him for a game when his form was down.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
I look forward to Freo v St Kilda now, the Ross the Boss cup.. what sort of reception would Ross get at Optus? Positive due to the first 4 years, or negative due to the last 4?
G money
Roar Rookie
'I demand accountability from everyone...except me that is' lol