Ross Lyon is officially back as St Kilda coach after a phone call from an AFL great convinced him it was the right time to return to the game.
More than a decade after he walked out on the club, Lyon was on Monday appointed Brett Ratten’s replacement on a four-year deal.
Lyon said he had “unfinished business” at the Saints, after reaching three grand finals but was unable to break the AFL’s longest-standing premiership drought dating back to 1966.
Watch every match of the AFLW Season LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Lyon opened up on a phone call “out of the blue” from coaching great Leigh Matthews that spurred him on to return to St Kilda.
“I hate using the name, but he’s the most credentialed in the AFL which is Leigh Matthews,” Lyon revealed.
“He rang me during the week out of the blue, unsolicited.
“He just (asked), ‘how are you?’ He understands it. I shared a little bit and he said, ‘You don’t wake up one day and think I want to coach AFL footy’. 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 expectations.
AFL backs Fagan and Clarkson return | 01:40
“You actually need to take a journey with the people you want by you and convince you all the pillars (of the club) are there so then you’ll take that emotional risk. And that’s really what happened.”
Lyon said he had “really moved on” from the sport after being sacked as Fremantle coach in 2019.
But his recent involvement in the media saw the “desire” to coach come back, with the Saints stating Lyon was their “first choice” for the job – and the only person interviewed for the role.
“In all honesty I was really moving on,” he said.
“I was very satisfied in the commercial world and in the media … (but) I sit here really clear (as new coach).
“I feel like through the media I understand it better … I see how hard people work.
“The media allowed me to stay in the game. I loved listening to (Collingwood’s) Craig McRae. (Geelong’s) Chris Scott (says) every year’s a blank canvas. Chris Scott (says) if my players don’t want me I’ll go. All those sort of things (were inspiration).
Study reveals alarming concussion trends | 06:23
“What I want to do – I’ll be strong in delivery but it’s a blank canvas here. I’ve spoken to (assistants Lenny) Hayes and (Corey) Enright – ‘think about how do you want to play’. I’ve been guilty of not bringing everyone on the journey.
“I want to bring all my football staff, make them emotionally connected to the journey and inspire them as much as you inspire the playing group.
“I think the desire to the game’s come back to me. The game was stilted, the double guarding of the mark, you had to go around the back … now you can go and play an up-tempo brand.”
Laughing as he compared returning to coaching like going back “to the dentist”, Lyon said he had no doubt he could get “back in the groove”.
“They are incredible, coveted, rare jobs,” he said.
“It’s hard to go back you know, but the highs and walking on the MCG 100,00 people, prelim finals, winning them, grand finals, big games of both clubs (makes it worth it).
President tells how Ratten lost his job | 01:06
“We’re going to put our work boots on.
“We’ve got plenty of ground to make up.
“Everyone in the club’s got to do some heavy lifting here.
“We’re all chasing Geelong.”
