Grant Thomas blames Saints for losing Lyon to Fremantle

[bornadog]

Jon Ralph From: Herald Sun

FORMER St Kilda coach Grant Thomas last night said the club's incompetence cost it Ross Lyon, as he urged the Saints to chase Collingwood's Mick Malthouse.

Thomas said St Kilda's unwillingness to offer him a long-term contract until Wednesday had clearly driven Lyon away from the club.

Fremantle is believed to have offered a five-year deal worth as much as $1 million a season, while the Saints initially offered only a two-year extension to his contract.

Lyon will be announced as the Fremantle coach today after blindsiding St Kilda with his decision. Favourite son Robert Harvey will take over as interim coach but is seen as an outsider in the race for the full-time job.

Thomas said when he was searching for prospective coaches for the Saints in 2001, Malthouse vowed he would one day return to finish his career at his former club if the timing was right. Now Thomas says the Saints should offer him a contract he "couldn't refuse" after driving out Lyon.

"I am led to believe St Kilda only recently increased its offer to four years, but not the salary component of it. That means to me they don't want him.

"If St Kilda wanted him, no doubt they could have secured him," he told the Herald Sun.

"They can only blame incompetence and lack of application and effort. If they didn't want him, they have succeeded.

"I have been saying for some time something hasn't been right. If the figures are as they are reported, it's very difficult to have any criticism of Ross. He has to do what he has to do. He is a career coach."

Lyon joins former Geelong coach Mark Thompson in leaving a contract, and Thomas said Malthouse might follow.

"The cupboard is relatively bare (financially), but if I was in charge at St Kilda, I would be going straight to Mick Malthouse's house and giving him an offer he couldn't refuse.

"Maybe Eddie (McGuire) might have sympathy for us and relieve him of his contract," Thomas said.

"I spoke to Mick back in 2001 when I was searching for a coach and he said, 'I can guarantee I will coach St Kilda one day and I want to get back there and coach. That would be the final thing I want to do, to coach St Kilda, so keep in touch'."

Thomas said the St Kilda board couldn't cope with Lyon's intensity.

"There is no doubt executives and boards struggle to deal with people of that nature," he said.

"The best coaches are incredibly intense and assertive, and in that regard he's very good. I think that, 'Look out Freo', because there will be nowhere to hide over there."

Lyon hinted all wasn't well with he and St Kilda when he declared the end of an era after St Kilda's elimination final loss to Sydney.

Lyon has coached St Kilda for five years, with Grand Final appearances in 2009 and 2010.

After intense speculation about Lyon's future, Saints president Greg Westaway on Tuesday told the Herald Sun he wanted the coach for "another five years".

"The supporters love him, the players love him, the executive loves him, the board loves him," Westaway said. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted (about the talk about a move to Melbourne), I don't where it comes from.

"Ross (has) ... great integrity, I've got all the faith in the world he will do what he has to do, which is, he will coach us next year."

Lyon's former manager Craig Kelly said there had never been a formal offer from either Melbourne or Adelaide.

[LostDoggy]

Jon Ralph From: Herald Sun

"The cupboard is relatively bare (financially), but if I was in charge at St Kilda, I would be going straight to Mick Malthouse's house and giving him an offer he couldn't refuse.

"Maybe Eddie (McGuire) might have sympathy for us and relieve him of his contract," Thomas said.

It's creepy how he still refers to St. Kilda as though he's there. "Us". Obviously each commentator has their former club bias, but I don't think I really hear people like Tom Harley etc. sitting there going "Oh yeah, if Hawkins could kick more goals for us" about a club he's no longer at. Maybe I don't pay enough attention.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Hes kidding himself.

Lyon left because their list is heading shitwards

[cinder]

How very Grant Thomas, the biggest grudge bearer in AFL history

[Desipura]

Why are we all of a sudden quoting everthing GT says, they guy craves attention otherwise he would not have a job.

[bornadog]

Why are we all of a sudden quoting everthing GT says, they guy craves attention otherwise he would not have a job.

Yeah, just heard him on 774 as well. I do not like the man.

Grant blamed Pelchen for not retaining Lyon.

[LostDoggy]

These types of coaches (the ones who move to the places with the best chance of success after someone else has done all the hard work building a list) are essentially reputation hogs and parasites of the highest order.

Jose Mourinho in soccer is exactly the same.

The thing is, they always leave clubs in far worse shape than when they arrive, because they just scum off someone else's hard work, do the last 5% and build their reputation, then jump ship the moment they know it's going to be hard work again. They're basically locusts, moving from place to place for their own gain and leaving behind a wasteland after they're gone.

St. Kilda's culture is shot to hell. The biggest indictment to me was his answer in a press conference to what he felt about what he did to Mark Harvey, and he dodged it by saying that he didn't do anything to Mark Harvey, that was the Fremantle Board's decision -- as if he had no idea that Fremantle had a sitting coach when he started discussions with them. What a wanker.

Why would players respect anything a coach like this says? Players now know this is a guy who will knife them in the back (and have no problems lying to your face) the moment it's convenient for him, so they'll always be watching out for themselves. A fantastic way to build a team culture.

Getting to three grand finals and shitting them all away? It's called karma, asshole.

[LostDoggy]

It's testament to how shit a bloke this is by the fact that he's not even 5 minutes out the door and, despite his winning record, Saints fans, although disappointed, are mostly glad he's gone. There isn't even a whole lot of bitterness I'm hearing, just a lot of 'good riddance' type goodbyes.

It's some contrast to how highly in esteem Rocket was held even by those who finally wanted him gone.

You know what, winning isn't everything.

[mjp]

There isn't even a whole lot of bitterness I'm hearing, just a lot of 'good riddance' type goodbyes.

It's some contrast to how highly in esteem Rocket was held even by those who finally wanted him gone.

You know what, winning isn't everything.

If that is the case, the Saints fans are hugely mistaken. They have a list that seems very skinny on talent, yet have played in the last two grand finals. If they are pleased he is gone right now, I wonder how they will feel after their 5th successive 10-goal flogging as the new coach opens things up (as he promises in his interview to get the board on side).

Lyon said it at the Freo press conference today - Fremantle accomplished in 3 days what took St Kilda 6 months (putting together a contract). They clearly regarded him as the best coach who could be 'got' and got him. Who is going to coach St Kilda now?

[LongWait]

If that is the case, the Saints fans are hugely mistaken. They have a list that seems very skinny on talent, yet have played in the last two grand finals. If they are pleased he is gone right now, I wonder how they will feel after their 5th successive 10-goal flogging as the new coach opens things up (as he promises in his interview to get the board on side).

Lyon said it at the Freo press conference today - Fremantle accomplished in 3 days what took St Kilda 6 months (putting together a contract). They clearly regarded him as the best coach who could be 'got' and got him. Who is going to coach St Kilda now?

Rocket I'd think - perhaps the only likely face-saving outcome for St.Kilda and the only way Rocket gets another senior gig. Perfect marriage of convenience.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Yeah, just heard him on 774 as well. I do not like the man.

Grant blamed Pelchen for not retaining Lyon.

You would have to think that it was money that ultimately drove Lyon to Freo. Harvey can consider himself harshly done by. Injuries to key players devastated their chances this year. This is a bold move by Fremantle who as a Club lives in the shadow of West Coast Eagles. It will be a big test for Lyon after having St. Kilda in three grand finals will be under plenty of pressure to lift the Dockers, whose dumping of Harvey was swift and brutal.
Lyon's departure from St. Kilda was equally swift but in somewhat poor taste given the reputation he had established in making the Saints a competitive unit.

[Remi Moses]

If that is the case, the Saints fans are hugely mistaken. They have a list that seems very skinny on talent, yet have played in the last two grand finals. If they are pleased he is gone right now, I wonder how they will feel after their 5th successive 10-goal flogging as the new coach opens things up (as he promises in his interview to get the board on side).

Lyon said it at the Freo press conference today - Fremantle accomplished in 3 days what took St Kilda 6 months (putting together a contract). They clearly regarded him as the best coach who could be 'got' and got him. Who is going to coach St Kilda now?

I agree they'll be lamenting his loss.
I get the feeling their crap start cost Lyon as he wanted a new contract in April, I think the board were reluctant to re-sign him then.
Then they were caught blind sided by Freo

[Flamethrower]

In the end I think Lyon just got sick of the off field behaviour of the playing group. You can only bang your head against a wall for so long before you end up with a headache.

I am amazed at how many St Kilda fans are happy that Lyon is gone, preferring an attacking game plan. They obviously prefer 16 goal to 18 losses over 7 goals to 5 wins.

[mjp]

In the end I think Lyon just got sick of the off field behaviour of the playing group. You can only bang your head against a wall for so long before you end up with a headache.

Not me. I think he was tired of the admin, tired of the wrangling over an extension and when Freo came calling he was ready to talk (in part because of the Pelchen thing). When they quickly turned around a contract proposal and showed a willingness to act both immediately and decisively to get him - along with a AUD$500K pa pay rise - he couldn't sign fast enough.

[LongWait]

Not me. I think he was tired of the admin, tired of the wrangling over an extension and when Freo came calling he was ready to talk (in part because of the Pelchen thing). When they quickly turned around a contract proposal and showed a willingness to act both immediately and decisively to get him - along with a AUD$500K pa pay rise - he couldn't sign fast enough.

I agree with you MJP but would add we shouldn't underestimate how strongly Lyon held the view he should report to the board and not through a Football Manager or CEO (and he certainly didn't want to report to Pelchan.)