Ross Lyon has moved a step closer to becoming St Kilda’s next coach, after a marathon four-hour meeting with club hierarchy on Monday.
Lyon confirmed to 7NEWS he is “interested” in re-joining the club he infamously walked out on a decade ago.
“We just had an initial discussion,” he said.
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“Yeah (there’s interest) otherwise we wouldn’t come and meet.
“It’s a delicate time for everybody. It’s not easy coaching an AFL club.”
The former Freo and St Kilda coach met with Andrew Bassat and Simon Lethlean at the Saints’ club president’s Bayside house in Melbourne, from 11am to “well past 3pm”, according to 7NEWS.
Lyon remains the favourite to replace Brett Ratten after he was sacked last Thursday following a club review that determined a change of leadership was needed.
The Herald Sun has reported it wasn’t the first meeting between Lyon and Bassat in recent months after the duo had “shared bottles of red wine until late into the night”.
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Lyon revealed to 7NEWS it was a “big step” to get involved in the St Kilda meeting, given he’d turned down previous chances to coach Carlton and Essendon in the past 12 months.
Lyon was at the helm of one of the club’s most successful periods, as St Kilda made back-to-back grand finals in 2009 and 2010 in his 121 games in charge.
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After his shock decision to jump ship to Fremantle late in 2011, he led the Dockers to their maiden grand final in 2013 before the club slid back down the ladder.
After four consecutive seasons without a finals appearance, Lyon was handed his marching orders from the club, alongside then CEO Steve Rosich, with one round remaining in 2019.
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Former Docker Michael Barlow said Lyon had a track record of success, but it came down to whether or not he wanted to return to coaching – and leave behind his lucrative media gig.
“I’ve said it often that he’s had a huge impact on my career,” he said on SEN.
“It’s there for all to see when he was at St Kilda (his success).
“He’s a clear candidate to come in and coach – I think it just comes down to the desire of the man if he wants to do it.”
