Former St Kilda and Essendon champion Brendon Goddard says Ross Lyon would be a perfect candidate for the Bombers’ vacant coaching job, as club president David Barham spent part of Thursday contacting people to see whether they would sit on the club’s coaching selection panel.
Goddard, who played 122 games and three grand finals under Lyon at St Kilda before joining the Bombers, and going on to captain the club, said Lyon would resolve any cultural issues stopping the Bombers from creating an elite, winning environment.
“His focus on culture, and changing culture and creating an elite environment that gives the players the best opportunity to get the best out of themselves, is his strength. It’s open and honest and brutal at times, but creating winning cultures is hard,” Goddard said.
Days gone by: Ross Lyon and Brendon Goddard in their time together at St Kilda.Credit:Sebastian Costanzo
“The importance he places on the defensive aspects of the game will teach them things they have never learned or held in such high regard.”
Lyon has emerged as a person Essendon are keen to sound out for the job, with the Bombers having conceded more points under former coach Ben Rutten than all bar North Melbourne and West Coast in 2022.
Todd Viney has joined North Melbourne with Alastair Clarkson.Credit:AFL Media
Lyon, the former St Kilda and Fremantle coach, left the door open for a chat with Barham, despite telling Nine’s Footy Classified he is “cautious” and “wary” about putting his hand up for the job.
Lyon felt burnt last year when he declared an interest in becoming Carlton coach before withdrawing from the race after it became obvious some members of the Blues’ board were not convinced he was the right person for the job.
However, he said he respected Barham and indicated that the departure of four Essendon directors was a positive development as it meant the remaining Bombers board members were aligned.
Alastair Clarkson.Credit:Getty Images
“I’m very wary, and I’m very cautious of anything to do with AFL senior coaching,” Lyon said.
“How anyone could mitigate that for me, I don’t even know, so I think it’s highly unlikely.
“I certainly didn’t enjoy what I allowed myself to be bought into last year. I probably said too much … I was too honest, and people don’t deal with that.”
The 55-year-old departed Fremantle in 2019 with a 57 per cent winning record in 305 games as coach, having taken the Saints and the Dockers to four grand finals (including a draw with Collingwood in 2010).
Viney was a fierce player for South Australia and Melbourne and became a highly regarded coach Credit:Fairfax Photographic
Since leaving the game, Lyon has established himself in business and the football media and Goddard said his people management had become better every year he was in a senior coaching job.
“Essendon are this incredible club, historically, and I actually don’t mind the purge. I hear the right noises coming from David Barham. Regardless of me, we all want to see them get going … he has to get all his ducks in a row, himself,” Lyon said.
Bombers football manager Josh Mahoney will be on the coaching selection panel as Barham sets up a process to simultaneously choose a new coach and conduct an external review of the club.
Meanwhile, North Melbourne have made their first significant move since appointing Alastair Clarkson, with football manager Daniel McPherson departing the club after just one year in the role.
Clarkson ally Todd Viney has been appointed as the club’s new football manager, with list manager Brady Rawlings to report directly to Viney in a revised structure. Assistant coaches Anthony Rocca and Heath Younie will also depart.
The club is expected to release an abridged version of the football department review Geoff Walsh conducted, which contained information for the board to enable them to devise their next steps after such a horror season.
Clarkson officially begins in the role on November 1, but addressed the players on Tuesday before they went on a break.
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