Good luck in the Bermuda Triangle of the AFL - Fremantle

[White Winmar]

Good luck RL. I know you've gone for the money and the fact you believe our list is stuffed. I hope you realise where you are going. The Fremantle football club is the biggest under achiever in the AFL. With all its resources, minimal competition in a captive market, a decade and a half of early and priority draft picks and concessions, this rabble has made the finals just three times, never even going close to winning a premiership.

It has devoured and spat out too many capable and good football people to count. It has ruined reputations and careers. It has proved itself to be thoroughly unprofessional and disingenuous in its treatment of its staff. Damian Drum, informed of his sacking in a media door stop, Mark Harvey sacked in the middle of a planning meeting, etc. etc.

Enjoy the money Ross, because I have no doubt you'll go the same way. As soon as you lose a few games, or they don't appreciate the ugly, one dimensional football you demand of your players, you too will be knifed in the back, sucked into the black hole of Femantle's dubious "history.

The St.Kilda football Club treated you with the utmost respect at all times. Despite your rigid thinking, your lack of consultation with your assistants and staff and your dictatorial style, you were afforded everything you needed to make the team successful. You even inherited a core of champions in their prime. That you went close to delivering a premiership is a credit to you, but equally you must take the blame for our failures.

If you think the rabble that is Fremantle will tolerate, let alone embrace your interpersonal and coaching style, then you are seriously deluded. You are an outsider, and as soon as you upset the small minded, parochial yokels that run that place, you'll go the way of all the others before you.

You have not left our club in better shape than you found it. We are back where we started at the end of 2006. Losers in an elimination final we should have one. Our list is tired and in need of an overhaul, only now there is no champion core in its prime. In its place is a vacuum, which you attempted to fill with your precious "role players", mainly rejects from other clubs. You have retarded the development of several youngsters on our list, who may now never discover their full potential.

I look forward to not watching Fremantle next year. Apart from the fact that they are an inconsistent, feeble pack of front runners, we will now add your unwatchable and torturous and ultimately (against the better sides) ineffective game style. If you think St.Kilda supporters are critical, wait for the reception you'll get in the goldfish bowl of Perth when your team attempts to adjust to its new style of game. You'll really find out about media pressure and scrutiny then.

No one who has gone to Fremantle as a coach has come out of there with anything but a ruined reputation and an abrupt end to their coaching aspirations. I fear Ross, that you're next.

[AJR]

Well said. However, I am more of an optimist. I believe that with a new coaching style, a number of our players will flourish and become better footballers rather than simply role players. I recall in Geary's first couple of games he looked pretty good. However, he has been diminished to one of RL's role players and now looks very ordinary. Maybe he's one who will do better in a different game plan. If he and others don't, then we'll inevitably go down the ladder and there's likely to be a fair bit of pain ahead for us. I look forward to some enjoyment out of seeing the younger guys get an opportunity; and we'll no longer have to endure those times when we've been almost unwatchable. Also, we might get someone in who values skills - you know, kicking the ball 25 metres; set shots for goal.

I have held a concern that RL's game plan may be a "one trick pony". It was extremely effective in 2009 - great defence and good scoring. However, in 2010 and 2011 it has degenerated into merely dour defence. OK, we nearly pinched a premiership last year but if Collingwood had kicked straight in GF 1 then we would not have been in the hunt.

So, it would appear that RL lacks the confidence to either come up with a new game plan that may get us back to a GF or is realistic in his inability to build a team over a few years. Under either scenario, it will give me some comfort to see him fail at Fremantle. I cannot see how his game plan will benefit Fremantle. We were far and away the best team in 2009 (until an inaccurate GF). Since then, the competition has worked us out. Also, will the Freo players buy into his demanding role game and famous "bubble". I'd have thought such strategies rely heavily on the players buying in. To buy in, they have to have great belief that their coach is with them 100%.

Good luck with the big payout in 3 years Freo. I think RL is doomed to become a wealthy football pariah.

[White Winmar]

Good luck with the big payout in 3 years Freo. I think RL is doomed to become a wealthy football pariah.[/quote]

Spot on AJR. Heath Shaw just called. He wants $100 on that outcome. Dean Wallis reckons he'll only last for two. Let's open the books now!

[bigcarl]

Brings to mind the old footy saying: "There are two types of coaches. Ones that have been sacked and ones that are going to be sacked."

Ross Lyin turns out to be a bit unique. He's sacked the club.

[bigcarl]

You have not left our club in better shape than you found it. We are back where we started at the end of 2006.

We're in a worse spot than then. We had a young, developing list (albeit injury-prone) who had their best football ahead of them.

That's why I thought it was a mistake sacking GT at the time.

[White Winmar]

Interesting to see Lyon's feeble performance in his presser. You could see the distress on his face as the media bombarded with a venom he has never faced in Victoria. Just wait until he loses a few games and his ineffective and ugly game style starts to bite. He has no idea what he's in for! His insipid cliches and hubris concerning his complete infallibility will see him out the door well before his contract is up. Just like all the others who've coached that cripple of a club. The shockers don't know it yet, but Lyon is a trojan horse that will destroy them from within.

[spert]

Lyon probably just realised he went for the dollar and forgot about integrity and reputation..he will never be in the top coach category again -he will fail. Can you imagine how much respect the Freo players will have for a coach that will obviously demand a lot, tell them he will be there for them, the jumps ship..good luck guys.

[3rd generation saint]

Look on the bright side, he is going to have to sing that dreadful dirge of a theme song every now and then.