Ross Lyon will win the flag 2013

[Scollop]

Most people have more brains than me but I know my footy. Thats an interesting assessment.

That was a reference to your other passtime and love - other than footy..You've killed a few trillion brain cells along the journey haven't you?

[plugger66]

deflect, divert, distract...You sound like Ross Lyon

"Round and round you go, clutching at irrelevance, asserting your rights to miss the point and hacking at anyone who might bother to think beyond your flatulent prognosticating." Who was that directed to I wonder

Im not deflecting at all. I think RL is a great coach who has made many mistakes like every great coach. No deflecting at all. My opinion has been out there for a long time unlike others who seem to have only underated his coaching since he happened to leave us.

nice second paragraph you wrote. Pity it had nothing to do with the topic but I have noticed that is your method when struggling.

[Scollop]

deflect, divert, distract...You sound like Ross Lyon

"Round and round you go, clutching at irrelevance, asserting your rights to miss the point and hacking at anyone who might bother to think beyond your flatulent prognosticating." Who was that directed to I wonder

Im not deflecting at all. I think RL is a great coach who has made many mistakes like every great coach. No deflecting at all. My opinion has been out there for a long time unlike others who seem to have only underated his coaching since he happened to leave us.

nice second paragraph you wrote. Pity it had nothing to do with the topic but I have noticed that is your method when struggling.

I don't struggle.... to read people. I respected RL's efforts BUT...I didn't like Ross from the start...AND I wasn't too enamoured with you and your posts from day dot

[samoht]

I agree with scollop... plus RL probably has the best list in the AFL, so let's be mindful of that too.

If RL was such a great coach then how come - (and I can't get past this fact).

Watters, an inexperienced coach, had as many wins in his first year with us and without Dawson (a kpp) as RL had in his last year with us?
Watters matched 5 years of RL's game plan and experience in his first year (without Dawson)!

Myth busted!

[plugger66]

I agree with scollop... plus RL probably has the best list in the AFL, so let's be mindful of that too.

If RL was such a great coach then how come - (and I can't get past this fact).

Watters, an inexperienced coach, had as many wins in his first year with us and without Dawson (a kpp) as RL had in his last year with us?
Watters matched 5 years of RL's game plan and experience in his first year (without Dawson)!

If anyone actually said Freo hadd the best list in the AFL at the start of the year you would have been laughed at and on top of that have probably had the most injuries of any club. Cant explain how SW won as many as RL in his first year. Maybe Lenny coming back helped or maybe SW is also a great coach because i do know IMO of course that RL is.

[Scollop]

How predictable..calling your messiah the 'great one' again. F me...I have never heard so much $hit. Wait 'til he wins a GF will you

And as for you samoht; Lets please not cloud the reputation of the great man with any relevant facts about his failings or his last game coached at St Kilda or his legacy he left behind

That last year Ross had with the Saints and our ladder position wasn't Ross's fualt..it was the boards fault

[plugger66]

How predictable..calling your messiah the 'great one' again. F me...I have never heard so much $hit. Wait 'til he wins a GF will you

And as for you samoht; Lets please not cloud the reputation of the great man with any relevant facts about his failings or his last game coached at St Kilda or his legacy he left behind

That last year Ross had with the Saints and our ladder position wasn't Ross's fualt..it was the boards fault

Why do you continue to lie? When did i call him the great one. Never. And when has anyone on here or anywhere blame the board for where we finished in RL last year? Seriously you really do struggle to have a sensible conversation without lying but hey you have the advantage of playing for the saints and you know he wasnt a great coach? well you must have because some players who did play under him rated him a great coach but what would they know. And some didnt. I take it you were one of those players? Very funny stuff though.

[Spinner]

How predictable..calling your messiah the 'great one' again. F me...I have never heard so much $hit. Wait 'til he wins a GF will you

And as for you samoht; Lets please not cloud the reputation of the great man with any relevant facts about his failings or his last game coached at St Kilda or his legacy he left behind

That last year Ross had with the Saints and our ladder position wasn't Ross's fualt..it was the boards fault

Have you actually watched Fremantle this year?

[Con Gorozidis]

Freo have a good list. Remember they finished 6th in 2010 - so they arent coming from that far back at all.

2011 they had a shocker with injuries.

2012 - back to 6th.

But this year they have a sweet spot -

Mundy, Johnson, Griffin, Dawson, Mzungu, D Pearce, Ibbotson, Ballantyne, Spurr, Barlow, Mayne all 25-28.

Then some youngsters - Hill, Suban, Walters, Fyfe, Clarke, De Boer.

Their list is very well balanced. Strong core of 12-14. Some good veterans (Pav, McPharlin, Sandilands, Crowley) and half a dozen good youngsters.

But really its that 12-14 core that is the absolute key.

We can match them for veterans and kids - but we dont have anything like 12-14 core aged players 25-28 (we have about 3).

[Wayne42]

After watching the performance of Freo at the weekend, I am convinced that they will win the premiership.

I hope your right, why, because Freo has yet to win a flag, it'd be good to see someone different win one...

[SaintPav]

If I was not a Saints man I would be rooting for Freo definitely but too close to home.

I loved Rosco and was shattered when he left. I took it very personally because I knew we had a really really good coach.

[Greg T]

I agree with scollop... plus RL probably has the best list in the AFL, so let's be mindful of that too.

If RL was such a great coach then how come - (and I can't get past this fact).

Watters, an inexperienced coach, had as many wins in his first year with us and without Dawson (a kpp) as RL had in his last year with us?
Watters matched 5 years of RL's game plan and experience in his first year (without Dawson)!

If anyone actually said Freo hadd the best list in the AFL at the start of the year you would have been laughed at and on top of that have probably had the most injuries of any club. Cant explain how SW won as many as RL in his first year. Maybe Lenny coming back helped or maybe SW is also a great coach because i do know IMO of course that RL is.

Why did Scott win a flag in his first year with Geelong?
Watters is no RL, delusional to think that,agree with P66 on this

[Scollop]

Why did Scott win a flag in his first year with Geelong?
Watters is no RL, delusional to think that,agree with P66 on this

Watters is definitely not as arrogant a pr1ck like Lyon.

Watters could be as good a coach as Lyon. I'm not sure if he could be as ferocious and aggressive as Lyon, but Watters definitely could be as ruthless and cunning and as hardworking as Lyon.

AND Watters could certainly land a flag for the Saints which is what TossLyon failed to do!!

As for Chris Scott, he was very smart in the way he managed the list and I reckon he was in the right place at the right time with the team that he landed with. The Geelong footy department, Neil Balme and the board were in no doubt that they could get the job done - they had already climbed the summit twice, so what that does is that it instills a belief and a confidence with a bunch of core experienced players with 2 Norm Smith medallists, a brownlow medallist and at least 10 or so multi All Australian winners.

Chris Scott was determined to rotate the list and get games into younger players and his older players were under no illusions that Geelong were looking to blood for the future. Everyone agrees that Geelongs recruiting and development had them streets ahead of the Saints and a few others and Cats were well placed to sustain a top 4 or at least a top 6 finish in Scotts first year. I'm not sure that his list was on the decline or as aging as first thought either. Ottens could've probably gone on, as could have Ling and a few others, but he put pressure on these blokes right from the start of the year and he was fortunate that they bought in and they gave it their all in what what turn out to be their last years.

But...there might have been another little motivating factor in the players minds that helped them 'stick it up' a few of the doubters that may have been fooled that they'd decline after their senior coach and their most valuable player walked out on them. They were filthy on Bomber Thompson and disappointed with their little Gary Jnr deserting them for the big bucks.

[whiskers3614]

Can somebody actually tell me how many more finals/Grand finals without winning a flag it would take to say Lyon is NOT a great coach?

[saintspremiers]

After watching the performance of Freo at the weekend, I am convinced that they will win the premiership.

I hope your right, why, because Freo has yet to win a flag, it'd be good to see someone different win one...

Serious or taking the piss?

We have suffered for 100 plus years in the big league for one flag.

Those bitches have been in for less then 20.

Let em suffer a bit also.

[plugger66]

Why did Scott win a flag in his first year with Geelong?
Watters is no RL, delusional to think that,agree with P66 on this

Watters is definitely not as arrogant a pr1ck like Lyon.

Watters could be as good a coach as Lyon. I'm not sure if he could be as ferocious and aggressive as Lyon, but Watters definitely could be as ruthless and cunning and as hardworking as Lyon.

AND Watters could certainly land a flag for the Saints which is what TossLyon failed to do!!

As for Chris Scott, he was very smart in the way he managed the list and I reckon he was in the right place at the right time with the team that he landed with. The Geelong footy department, Neil Balme and the board were in no doubt that they could get the job done - they had already climbed the summit twice, so what that does is that it instills a belief and a confidence with a bunch of core experienced players with 2 Norm Smith medallists, a brownlow medallist and at least 10 or so multi All Australian winners.

Chris Scott was determined to rotate the list and get games into younger players and his older players were under no illusions that Geelong were looking to blood for the future. Everyone agrees that Geelongs recruiting and development had them streets ahead of the Saints and a few others and Cats were well placed to sustain a top 4 or at least a top 6 finish in Scotts first year. I'm not sure that his list was on the decline or as aging as first thought either. Ottens could've probably gone on, as could have Ling and a few others, but he put pressure on these blokes right from the start of the year and he was fortunate that they bought in and they gave it their all in what what turn out to be their last years.

But...there might have been another little motivating factor in the players minds that helped them 'stick it up' a few of the doubters that may have been fooled that they'd decline after their senior coach and their most valuable player walked out on them. They were filthy on Bomber Thompson and disappointed with their little Gary Jnr deserting them for the big bucks.

So now its about his personality? Who gives a rats about how good or bad blokes coaches are as long as they get results. And yes I think everyone knows on here we didnt win the flag but thanks for reminding us.

[SaintPav]

Comparing Lyon to Watters now is nonsensical. Better to compare Waters with Lyon version 2008 (taking into account his good list).

While he did turn us around in that year to reach top 4 and play off in a prelim, the jury was still out on Ross at the end of 2008. He hadn't proven himself at all.

[St. Luke]

Freo look damn sharp. I wouldn't doubt they could go all the way.

Anyone but the stinking Hawks!

[thejiggingsaint]

If I put my disappointment and anger at the manner in which he left us, and instead look at what Ross Lyon has achieved at Fremantle in transforming the way they play the game, then there is no way I could not admire the man. They will win the flag. They have belief, skill, and MONGREL in them!

[saintly]

I can't help this, but i will be very disspointed if freo win the grand final

[Kickit]

So now its about his personality? Who gives a rats about how good or bad blokes coaches are as long as they get results. And yes I think everyone knows on here we didnt win the flag but thanks for reminding us.

I agree and disagree with this.

Most teams would put up with the biggest prick in the world coming in and treating them like they are in the North Korean army, If it gives them a good shot at the flag.
But over the longer term it would wear thin.

It wears the players down. You need to lift your foot off the pedal and let them recover, then rev them up when the time is right.
Maybe Watters is not the guy to have steering the ship when its time to make a go of it, but I'm not yet convinced he's not and I think he's the right guy for where we are now.

[matrix]

good coach or bad coach
he was a rude bastard in the press conf

friggin d**khead
arrogant personified imo

[SainterK]

good coach or bad coach
he was a rude bastard in the press conf

friggin d**khead
arrogant personified imo

Sounded like Malthouse, should aspire to be better.

I'm yet to understand why he cracked it.

He loves players doing whatever they can within the rules.

It's why he loved bakes, it's why he loves Crowley...

Why get so defensive?

[prwilkinson]

Hawthorn will pump who ever rolls up to play them on Grand Final.

Has there ever been a coach that's been handed an armchair ride with the lists he's been gifted like Ross Lyon?

[dragit]

Has there ever been a coach that's been handed an armchair ride with the lists he's been gifted like Ross Lyon?

"Turn it up champ…"