In retrospect

[3rd generation saint]

If you can remember who applied for the coaching position in 2006, who would you have preferred to Ross Lyon?

[Solar]

Grant thomassss..... whoops sorry I said the G word

[LENNY LEADS THE WAY]

I still can't understand why i didn't get the nod, i thought my resume was pretty good coaching from the comfort of my lounge.

Maybe next time.

[saintsrus]

I didnt like any of the applicants, and we picked a guy I didnt know who he was

[Otiman]

At the time I said I would have been happy with Longmire, Bond, or Lyon.

Lyon was a last minute candidate as far as the public was concerned, so it was between Longmire and Bond.

[The Peanut]

I supported the club in their decision at the time. I was very keen on Chris Bond before RL was decided upon.

These are the profiles of what the press believed to be the 4 finalists – and there was some selection panel leaks from memory.


ROSS LYON
Ross Lyon: - Joined Sydney in 2004, having spent the previous four seasons at Carlton under Denis Pagan, Wayne Brittain and David Parkin, including a role as the club's VFL coach for three years. Was also previously an assistant at Richmond for four years. As a player, was a hard-working midfielder for Fitzroy between 1985 and 1994, making 127 senior appearances and kicking 112 goals. Also played two games for the Brisbane Bears in 1995 before injuring a knee and retiring at 28. Oversees the Swans' midfield. Lyon's begun his coaching career at Richmond in 1995. For two years he was a part-time defence coach assistant under Robert Walls and then a further two years as a full-time assistant under Jeff Gieschen. Lyon's moved to Carlton Football Club in 2000, taking an assistant and VFL coach role under David Parkin. Due to senior coach changes at Carlton, he was under Wayne Brittain in 2001 and 2002 and more recently, Dennis Pagan in 2003.


JOHN LONGMIRE
John Longmire: Former Kangaroos forward and Coleman Medallist, who played in the Roos' 1999 premiership side. Played 200 games, including 12 finals, from 1988 to 1999 and kicked 511 goals. Worked for two years as a player manager for global company IMG and also did media work before joining the Swans as an assistant in 2002. Coaches the Swans' reserves, with assistance from Brett Allison.


CHRIS BOND
Chris Bond: Earned a reputation as a tenacious on-baller in 163 games between 1990 and 1999 for Carlton, Richmond and Fremantle. Won his first coaching role with Werribee in 2001 and after leading the Tigers to the 2002 finals. Coaching Career: 2001-2002 Werribee Senior Coach, 2003-2006 Western Bulldogs Assistant Coach.

GUY McKENNA
Guy McKenna: Resumed a working relationship in 2004 with coach Mick Malthouse that started when Malthouse joined West Coast as senior coach in 1990. McKenna, the Eagles' 'quarterback' throughout the '90s, played a then club record 267 games between 1988 and 2000, including the 1992 and 1994 premierships, and captained the club for two years. A former West Coast assistant coach, he coached WAFL club Claremont before joining Collingwood as opposition coach.

[Saints43]

I still can't understand why i didn't get the nod, i thought my resume was pretty good coaching from the comfort of my lounge.

Maybe next time.

Maybe you should have left out the bit where every member has to log on to an internet site and apologise to you if you win a game.

Was a good CV apart from that.

[The Peanut]

Why I liked Chris Bond at the time was that he was a tough uncompromising player who was generally believed to be ready for the senior coaches role and was as keen as mustard to coach St Kilda.

Although we will probably never know what actually happened at the selection table it was believed by many in the press at the time that we were tossing up between Chris Bond and John Longmire until the official interview of the latter - It has been speculated that something came up in the Longmire interview that turned the heads of the panel towards Ross Lyon.

A bloke told a bloke that told a bloke who told me ... that the panel were highly impressed with RL's demo of a defensive strategy.

[JeffDunne]

If we were going to change the last thing we should have been doing is going after an untried coach - especially one that has never had his own team.

[Behind Play]

I still can't understand why i didn't get the nod, i thought my resume was pretty good coaching from the comfort of my lounge.

Maybe next time.

We tried that with Malcome

[The Peanut]

If we were going to change the last thing we should have been doing is going after an untried coach - especially one that has never had his own team.

I am not thinking about changing coaches just yet but threads like this get me thinking back at the time of the appointment ...

[Otiman]

If we were going to change the last thing we should have been doing is going after an untried coach - especially one that has never had his own team.

Yep, I had in my mind that it was Lyon that coached the Swans Reserves, but it turns out it was Longmire.

Lyon has a lot to learn about gaining the respect and attention of the players.

Lesson number one is to not drown them in statistics. Let the coaching panel worry about those, and tell the players (in laymans terms) what they need to do. I often think we are overthinking things on field at present.

[Mr Magic]

Why I liked Chris Bond at the time was that he was a tough uncompromising player who was generally believed to be ready for the senior coaches role and was as keen as mustard to coach St Kilda.

Although we will probably never know what actually happened at the selection table it was believed by many in the press at the time that we were tossing up between Chris Bond and John Longmire until the official interview of the latter - It has been speculated that something came up in the Longmire interview that turned the heads of the panel towards Ross Lyon.

A bloke told a bloke that told a bloke who told me ... that the panel were highly impressed with RL's demo of a defensive strategy.

It's interesting that neither Bond nor McKenna have managed to 'snare' a senior position since we appointed RL in 2006. (I'm assuming that Longmire is on a 'nod' from the Swans to take over from Roos?)

That would make
Essendon
Carlton
Melbourne
Freamantle

who chose other applicants than these 2.
Was Robert Walls involved in any of their 'selection panels'?
Given that the often posted view on here is that RL only got the job because his 'good mate Wallsy' gave it to him, how does the fact that 4 other Clubs chose to overlook these applicants jell with that view?

[st_Trav_ofWA]

didnt Garry Ayres aslo put his hat in the ring but didnt get to the interview process and Mark Harvey put his in but pulled out of the race cause he didnt want an interveiw

[plugger66]

If we were going to change the last thing we should have been doing is going after an untried coach - especially one that has never had his own team.

Yep, I had in my mind that it was Lyon that coached the Swans Reserves, but it turns out it was Longmire.

Lyon has a lot to learn about gaining the respect and attention of the players.

Lesson number one is to not drown them in statistics. Let the coaching panel worry about those, and tell the players (in laymans terms) what they need to do. I often think we are overthinking things on field at present.

Our coach is in real trouble if people from here have to give him lessons on how to coach. Do you know that RL is doing this because it hasnt come across as much of an issue.

[JeffDunne]

Lyon has a lot to learn about gaining the respect and attention of the players.

Since Lyon took over the players have been accused of :

- being disloyal (although this wasn't Ross)
- being soft
- being unable to follow instructions

and now we have

- most aren't up to it.

I'm not sure what Ross is thinking but I doubt he has their respect.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

Why I liked Chris Bond at the time was that he was a tough uncompromising player who was generally believed to be ready for the senior coaches role and was as keen as mustard to coach St Kilda.

Although we will probably never know what actually happened at the selection table it was believed by many in the press at the time that we were tossing up between Chris Bond and John Longmire until the official interview of the latter - It has been speculated that something came up in the Longmire interview that turned the heads of the panel towards Ross Lyon.

A bloke told a bloke that told a bloke who told me ... that the panel were highly impressed with RL's demo of a defensive strategy.

It's interesting that neither Bond nor McKenna have managed to 'snare' a senior position since we appointed RL in 2006. (I'm assuming that Longmire is on a 'nod' from the Swans to take over from Roos?)

That would make
Essendon
Carlton
Melbourne
Freamantle

who chose other applicants than these 2.
Was Robert Walls involved in any of their 'selection panels'?
Given that the often posted view on here is that RL only got the job because his 'good mate Wallsy' gave it to him, how does the fact that 4 other Clubs chose to overlook these applicants jell with that view?

freo only ever have on man in mind of coaching when they gave muffin head the heaveho the WA media made a big deal of Sumich being a front runner but it was never going to happen .

carlton went for a former player cause their last coach never really had the players on side (funny that)

Melbourne went buget basment

and essendon were soo arrogant they expected choco Williams and Bomer Thompson to fist fight eachother for the right to coach them and ended up picking the the first bloke to walk in the door that morning

[matrix]

Lesson number one is to not drown them in statistics. Let the coaching panel worry about those, and tell the players (in laymans terms) what they need to do. I often think we are overthinking things on field at present.

agree 100%

[kaos theory]

It's interesting that neither Bond nor McKenna have managed to 'snare' a senior position since we appointed RL in 2006. (I'm assuming that Longmire is on a 'nod' from the Swans to take over from Roos?)

That would make
Essendon
Carlton
Melbourne
Freamantle

who chose other applicants than these 2.
Was Robert Walls involved in any of their 'selection panels'?
Given that the often posted view on here is that RL only got the job because his 'good mate Wallsy' gave it to him, how does the fact that 4 other Clubs chose to overlook these applicants jell with that view?

True MM

If these others were so good, why haven't they been picked up? Problem is that is a very difficult and complex job appointment to make, bacause the coaches success is often determined by many factors, and many of these are out of his control.

Interesting to see what people think of a new appointement now, if we had to go through it again at the end of the year. To go to another untried coach would be a major step backwards. Its takes at least 2 or 3 years to get settled in the role and learn the job properly.

The hawks chose clarkson knowing that they will be down the bottem for a few years, therefore that gave him time to learn the trade before the hawks became a serious finals contender.

Look at the way harvey, knights and demon's coach are now struggling (and still learning on the job) in their first years.

I wonder if people would be interested in someone like Neal Dahniher now... We did try to get choco williams, but that was too hard back then, maybe now he is easier to extract...

[matrix]

if chokeo EVER coaches us i will seriously not be happy.

after seeing and reading this thread and peeps diff opinions i can honestly say that starting over again would be a step backwards and no good for us.

im hanging on by a single thread to the be'lie'f that RL is working his way into it and will bring us home the bacon.

syd
freo
north
blues
hawks
eagles
port
pies
freo
crows
bombers

ill accept losses against syd, hawks, pies and crows.....but drop any of the others and ill be rather disappointed.

[The Peanut]

... Yep, I had in my mind that it was Lyon that coached the Swans Reserves, but it turns out it was Longmire.

... I did too so perhaps the profiles above has some issues (came from the press at the time).

I don’t think that there was ever a public list of applicants but SEN and others were keeping tab of who were going in and out of interviews

Shortlisted by St Kilda Sub-Cimmittee
Ross Lyon, John Longmire, Guy McKenna. Chris Bond

Matt Rendall - withdrew Interest
Garry Lyon - Reported to have been approached
Mark Harvey – Reported to have spoken to St Kilda
Daryn Cresswell - Reported to have withdrawn his interest following an incident in Sydney

Speculated to be of interest and/or interested
Don Pyke, Peter Sumich, John Blakey, Leigh Matthews, Michael Broadbridge, Gary O'Donnell, Steve Malaxos, Gary Ayres and Mick McGuane

Some of the other possibilities discussed in the press were:
Dean Laidley, Danny Frawley, Chris Connolly, Michael Voss and Dennis Pagan

Selection Process
The 'Broad' Selection Criteria (As described by Rod Butterss)
• Take The St Kilda Football Club through the next five-years plus as Senior Coach and Win premierships
• Be up-to-date with the latest trends in sports science, sports psychology and be an excellent man manager.

Sub Committee
Ross Smith was appointed to chair a Sub Committee and to assist the club with the appointment of the new Senior Coach.
The Committee included President Rod Butterss, St Kilda Directors Glen Casey and Mark Kellett, Premiership players Ken Sheldon, Robert Walls and St Kilda Chief Executive Officer Archie Fraser . . . Ken Sheldon also joined the club as a consultant for an interim period to assist with the list review, Draft, player liaison and the identification of improving opportunities during the transition to a new Senior Coach.

[n1ck]

Speculated to be of interest and/or interested
Don Pyke, Peter Sumich, John Blakey, Leigh Matthews, Michael Broadbridge, Gary O'Donnell, Steve Malaxos, Gary Ayres and Mick McGuane

Oh lordy lordy... that would have been magnificent.

Never a chance, unfortunately.

[3rd generation saint]

Actually on reading the background of the applicants, Guy McKenna to me suddenly looks like the best candidate.
Did coach his own team in the WAFL, played in premierships and was captain of a premiership teams defence and did his apprenticeship under Malthouse.
Lyon's only successful team was the Swans, but all the rest were duds the time he was there.

[JeffDunne]

To be fair, if you were going to sign an untried coach and fall for the hype around assistants then Ross had the resume to justify his selection.

What concerns me more is the flow-on appointments.

Tony Elshaug - General Manager, Football Development

WTF?

After spending 5 years overseeing Carlton's list how in god's name did he get another job at any AFL club let alone ours?

I really would like to hear someone explain that decision beyond he's another mate of Ross & Wallsy.

[JeffDunne]

Peanut, the only senior coach we actually approached was Laidley and that appeared a knee-jerk decision to justify the decision that had already been made. He was contacted only days before Lyon was appointed.

Lyon IIRC wasn't contacted until AFTER the other short-listed applicants had already been interviewed.

And if I also recall correctly, the other candidates were notified of their unsuccessful application via the media (as they were when GT was appointed).