Ross Lyon is returning for a 2nd stint as St Kilda coach, 11 years after controversially walking out on the AFL club to join Fremantle.
Ross Lyon : Fitzroy | Press conference | Memes
Lyon is a former Australian rules football player and the senior coach of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ross Lyon | ||
| Date of birth | 8 November 1966 | ||
| Original team(s) | Reservoir (NFL) | ||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 89 kg (196 lb) | ||
He previously coached St Kilda from from 2007 to 2011, and the Fremantle Football Club from 2012 to 2019. He played for Fitzroy and the Brisbane Bears between 1985 and 1995.
Lyon began his career with Fitzroy in 1985. After playing the last five games of the season and the first game in 1986 he missed the remainder of the season and most of 1987 due to groin and back injuries that was later diagnosed as spondylolisthesis.
Ross Lyon Fitzroy
Lyon began his career with Fitzroy in 1985. After playing the last five games of the season and the first game in 1986 he missed the remainder of the season and most of 1987 due to groin and back injuries that was later diagnosed as spondylolisthesis.
He returned to play 19 games in 1988 and ended up playing 127 games over the next ten years until the end of the 1994 season.
Lyon played for Fitzroy Football Club from 1985 until 1994, for a total of 127 games and kicked a total of 112 goals.
When the St Kilda senior coaching position became available at the end of 2006, a list of candidates was drawn up. Lyon beat a total of 52 candidates for the job, including favourite John Longmire.
He succeeded Grant Thomas, as St Kilda Football Club senior coach, who was sacked a week after the Saints under Thomas were defeated in an elimination final by Melbourne in the 2006 finals series.
Also Upon becoming senior coach of the club, Lyon hired his own assistants, with close friend and AFL Team of the Century fullback Stephen Silvagni, Anthony Rock, former Carlton assistant coach Tony Elshaug and John Barker all being appointed in assistant coaching positions for Lyon’s first season.
Press conference
Ross the Boss is back 11 years after his sensational departure — and he says footy fans will see a different side of him as Saints coach, albeit with an “unfinished business” mindset and the same desire for ultimate success.
But St Kilda on Monday unveiled Ross Lyon as its new senior coach after finalising a four-year contract across several secret meetings with key club figures over the past 10 days.
Lyon told reporters it was “a privilege to be back” as Saints coach for a second stint, revealing he became emotional when recently pitching to the club’s board.
“When 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,” he said.
“I presented to the board and I got very emotional. When I left I dropped an iron curtain — when I spoke about that moment and how I felt about St Kilda, I did get very, very emotional and it unleashed a lot of memories.
“There were a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but it sort of really validated how I felt about the club if there was any doubt.”
Memes
Ross Lyon has declared he has returned to St Kilda with a “blank canvass” to help the club finally conquer football’s equivalent of Mt Everest – delivering an elusive second premiership.
Lyon’s appointment for his second coming as Saints coach, having led the club between 2007-11, was confirmed on Monday, complete with a four-year contract to lift a side that has finished 10th over the past two seasons and last tasted the ultimate success in 1966.
He had been the Saints’ sole focus after the brutal sacking of Brett Ratten less than a fortnight ago, and had met several times with club president Andrew Bassat and chief executive Simon Lethlean.
“[When] I presented to the board, I got very emotional and When I left, I dropped an iron curtain,” Lyon said of the past week.
“When I spoke about that moment and how I felt about St Kilda, I did get very, very emotional and it sort of unleashed a lot of memories – there were a lot of highs and a lot of lows. But it really validated how I felt about the club, if there was any doubt.