Ross Lyon is expected to be appointed St Kilda coach as early as Monday after reports a “final hurdle” in his contract was eased over the weekend.
The Age reports Lyon and the Saints had been working towards a three-year deal with terms of the contract agreed upon last week.
There’s reports a final clause needed to be “dealt with” – unrelated to Lyon’s salary or behaviour – but with that now sorted, it’s opened for door for Lyon’s contract to be made official.
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It is expected incoming assistant coach Lenny Hayes is safe in his job at the Saints, after his appointment in August.
But defence coach Corey Enright’s future at the club is unclear, with Lyon predicted to want to make the call on his assistants.
There’s reports Lyon is negotiating on some key off-field positions, currently held by Ben Jacobs (development coach), Jarryd Roughead (football operations assistant), Damian Carroll (head of development and learning) and Nick Walsh (head of performance and conditioning).
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Lyon met with St Kilda powerbrokers multiple times this week in the wake of Brett Ratten’s shock sacking earlier this month.
He led St Kilda in one of its most successful periods in club history, guiding the team to three grand finals in his 121 games at the helm before famously defecting to Fremantle in shock scenes in 2011.
By chasing Lyon to return as senior coach, AFL great Dermott Brereton this week said the Saints had shown a “ruthless” aspect missing in recent years.
“Every man and his dog knows Brett Ratten is an A-grade football citizen,” he said on SEN.
“Seniors coaches don’t have to be the most analytical mind in the world … they have to be leaders, they have to have an edge, they have to have a charismatic value to them, they have to be unchallengeable in their demeanour and the players have to believe that … I don’t know if Ratts is that type of person.
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“I think St Kilda are having a go at being ruthless here (by turning to Lyon) and it’s not too often in their history they’ve become ruthless.
“Maybe it’s a new dawn with a ruthless aspect for the St Kilda footy club to move into.
“They are all chips in to be the best club you can be.”
Former Saint Nick Dal Santo has publicly spoken of his support for Lyon returning to the club, and is one of Lyon’s many former charges to back his ability as coach.
“I think there’s a bit of a perception that he’s heavy-handed; he’s not that. What he did for us a group, he changed us,” he said.
St Kilda are currently experiencing the AFL’s longest premiership drought, with their only flag coming back in 1966.
