St Kilda’s review into their football department has found the Saints have not been set up properly to support a winning AFL culture.
The club’s board wants to “sharpen its focus” on football in a bid to end St Kilda’s painful 56-year wait to win a second premiership.
The review findings were released on Friday, almost three weeks after St Kilda confirmed Ross Lyon would be returning for a second stint as coach.
Lyon’s appointment came 10 days after the brutal sacking of Brett Ratten, who was let go just three months after he signed a two-year contract extension.
“The review found that we did not have the platform needed to support a sustainable winning culture and that significant change was needed in the football department, and more broadly in the club,” St Kilda president Andrew Bassat wrote.
“In our football program, we had seen encouraging signs of improvement through 2020, an injury-cruelled 2021 season and the first half of the 2022 season.
“But our performances post the bye this year made it much harder to make the case that we were making sufficient progress in our football journey.”
Bassat said the club had opted to forego financial incentives and will not sell off a game interstate next year to give the Saints a better shot at winning.
Saints coach Ross Lyon talks with Stephen Milne during a St Kilda training session in 2009. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
St Kilda’s loss to Port Adelaide in Cairns in round seven, ultimately proved costly, with the Saints missing finals by just one game and percentage.
“We have decided not to sell a home game in 2023 and to apply a strong football lens to any cause games we consider undertaking,” Bassat wrote.
The review committee, which included former North Melbourne coach David Noble, said St Kilda needed to recruit an experienced football boss, improve “leadership and capacity” of the coaching group and give players more leadership and development opportunities.
The Saints opted to hire former Collingwood and North Melbourne boss Geoff Walsh, while former St Kilda greats Robert Harvey, Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard have joined the coaching staff.
Uber
Guest
Almost sounds too sensible for the Saints.
robertbrob13226
Roar Rookie
Saints aren,t selling games interstate , regardless if you ain,t got the cattle we are still on a road to nowhere ,
Vicboy
Roar Rookie
Do a review. Review finds that the club has clawed its way back from financial and cultural ruin - previous CEO had the job of setting up Moorabbin and moving from Frankston. CEO was tied to the coach. CEO did not move the club to Frankston, but had to repair; including selling games to generate the $. Loose game in torrential rain- miss finals. Blame coach for not being ruthless enough footy-wise. But ask coach to justify HIS position over a period of weeks. I wish the Saints well, but CF Richmond, have sustainable business plan that doesn’t distract footy department - until then support the coach. Bassat seems to be Vlandys, McGuire type - which is ok, if you get it done. Hopefully he and the board sort out the $ from here on, and Lyon can get on with it. Malthouse and Lyon have similar public images - unlikeable in press conferences, but the top 26 players love them; but Malthouse couldn’t coach the team and put out the fires behind him at Carlton.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
"Mothers, tell ya children not do what I have done ....." "House of the Rising Sun"
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Are Melbourne the only club selling games interstate now?