RTB's Presser

[bobmurray]

VETERAN St Kilda coach Ross Lyon believes restrictions on AFL runners delivering on-field messages have left coaches feeling like "neutered dogs".

The Saints suffered their fourth loss in their past five games against Hawthorn on Saturday in Launceston, going down by five points in a scrappy contest.
Lyon, who got St Kilda to sixth last season after a few years away from head coaching, conceded criticism was likely after a "mundane" performance.

https://www.afl.com.au/video/1127586/fu ... 5412438001

[Yorkeys]

That's bound to attract criticism from the owners of neutered dogs, female dogs, vets of all creeds - and non neutered dogs due to the implications they think deeply rather than just spraying, sniffing and filling small green bags with excrement.
Speaking of excrement....

[magnifisaint]

It sounded like a whinge to me. You can't kick 7 goals a game and be competitive. The forward line needs to be rejigged.

[B.M]

It was a diversion tactic

The media became more interested in bloody runners than about why we kicked 7 goals and average about 9 goals per game!!!

[Scollop]

Always got some fkn lame excuse to blame losses on someone else but himself

I suppose the nuffies in our cheer squad and the fanboys will drink that kool aid

Why play favourites Rossy boy? Why play Liam Henry straight back into the seniors when Dow and Clark have to play multiple games at Sandringham?

I can understand the need for speed, but first and foremost is the need to get your hands on the pill and find some touch.

Henry hadn’t played a competitive game in 6 weeks.

[shrodes]

Journo:
Overall thoughts on the game?

Lyon:
I can't hear you, just going to have to be a bit louder.

Journo:
Overall thoughts on the game? How did you see it out there today?

Lyon:
How did I what?

Journo:
Just overall thoughts on the game. How did you see it out there today?

Lyon:
We're disappointed. I acknowledge Hawthorn.
I suppose we spoke about both teams having opportunities.
They had control of the second, and didn't cash in when they should have.

First quarter, both teams rolled a bit, it was a bit more free and open.
We sort of liked it, that was okay.
They got on top round clearance in the second quarter, and then pinned us in as well so...
I just spoke at half time, I didn't really like how we were playing, I thought there was a mundaneness to it and a sameness and I just sort of said we're better than that.
Let's get some run, some overlap, and go, y'know... be bold, whatever the words were.

And I thought, look, we had 16 entries. I thought the kids started using their legs and cutting and even though we stuffed a couple up, I thought that's where we want to be more.
So... 16 entries, 1.5, just that connection piece - didn't like it.

And then at three quarter time, it was like, cause you can go into different modes.
So it was like right from the start, you can call it green mode.
It's about a mindset and an attacking mindset.
You look more aggressive, your looks are more aggressive.
So we went to that right from the start, to be honest.

Then we structured up a bit different, created a lot of midfield space.
I thought it created some opportunities, but there was just some, again, some inability to cash in.
I thought they were stronger when being tackled, they could extricate it, I thought they were cleaner.
I thought they probably edged us in that regard.

So could we have won it at the end? Yeah there were a couple of decisions, but we don't want to focus on it as a close loss.
I thought their young midfield was pretty good.
A couple of people that bounced for us last week struggled a little bit after their second back, so, not unexpected, but I'm really disappointed for our fans.

I'd rather play like we did against Essendon, at three quarter time, with plenty of sizzle.
Could have been five up. I don't like how we're playing at the minute.

Journo:
Just too hesitant in that first half, weren't you? Not taking the game on enough?

Lyon:
Yeah, I'm not sure what it was. We don't sit them down with placards saying don't take the game on.
You've got to drive the car, go quick.
But to be honest, I'd rather it was going over the hill again, so, who do we play, the Dockers?
I mean you can control the ball like Sydney last night, but I think they're a really high level team, Sydney.

I'd just like to have a bit more than we're displaying at the minute.
It doesn't sit very comfortably. Criticism will come, that's fair enough.
And I think people will go after Max King, but I think he's symptomatic of that problem.

Journo:
How do you go about fixing that?

Lyon:

Well there's only one way - identify it, train it, try and get us on the same page.
There was a play late, we come out of stoppage, we mark it at half-forward, we've got five forwards inside 15, and we don't go to them.
So it's like, well, what's going on here?
I just use that as an example of what we've got to fix.

So I think it's a mindset of a quick fix.
As always, we'll probably overcorrect and open ourselves up a bit.
But I'd rather that than what's going on at the minute, to be fair.

Journo:
Just a couple of moments there in that third quarter, you really did take the game on.
But 1.5, and I think Wanganeen kicked in the middle and the turnover goal and then a goal from behind, real quick transition there as well.
Just a couple of moments there that they took.

Lyon:
Yeah, as someone said s*** happens, right? [laughing]
You can't take it on, then someone goes up the middle and turns it over, and worry about it.
Yeah and I didn't see the other one, it's not ideal.
So yeah, stuff happens, right? Sorry, kids.

Journo:
You pushed Battle up forward and obviously had a great impact in that third quarter and really sort of give you a little bit of potency up there.

Lyon:
Yeah, we tried to do a bit.
We did a Battle, Owens midfield, Sinclair back.
We did a bit, but I heard Chris Scott, I liked his discussion, re: umpiring and all that.

I suppose after coming back into coaching, there's a lot of pressure on us, there's a lot of pressure on me now.
A lot of pressure on Beveridge, who was a great game day coach.
But I'm finding it... and I'm happy for the AFL to hear this, and it's not an excuse, because we've had a lot of tight games, but we get four messages a quarter.
And with three minutes to go, you can't send the runner, which is, I get that.
In my previous iterations, you could use the runner, almost at will.
But you see things you want to fix, things you want to do and people say, well, kick more goals and you get those opportunities, but it's still limited, right?
So from my end, I find that incredibly frustrating.
And I know Luke Beveridge has spoken about it, and I think there'll be a lot of coaches.
So it's not an excuse, but I don't know, when you think the pressure that gets put on, and you can pick up the phone and shift some stuff and maybe score better.
[laughing] I don't know, it's interesting that you can, we're like neutered dogs, right?
We sit there, can see stuff, and you can't use, and you can't fix.
It's very difficult, but it's not an excuse.
Hope the other coaches are jumping on board this.

Journo:
Do you think the AFL should change, change...

Lyon:
Do you understand that, that discussion? Do you understand that one?

Journo:
Yeah. Would you like to increase to eight or ten a quarter, or what's the answer do you think?

Lyon:
I don't know what the number is, but I'm tipping it's more than four, isn't it?
What was the question?

Journo:
No, sorry, I was going to ask the same thing, but you said the AFL...

Lyon:
It's not a red herring, and let's cut it, and losing coaches, do whatever you want, but I suppose I'm talking about it behind closed doors, and today's a bit of a tipping point of, it's just hard.

Journo:
Is that why you came down to the bench for a while?

Lyon:
No, look, our vision was jumpy all day.
I don't know, was it Optus or Telstra here, probably Telstra network, I don't know.
So the vision was a bit jumpy, and then I don't know, I banged the phone, and the comms jumped out, so.
Yeah, there's a little bit, yeah, you can just, but even then you're stuck, you can't send the bloke out.
So, look, all credit to Hawthorn.
So, yeah, it is what it is.
Thanks, guys.

[bobmurray]

Well done shrodes.

[Annoyedsaint]

He’s done.

Blaming runners. Code for we can’t drum it into them and/or the players are halfwits and can’t follow instructions and need a full time nanny out there to remind them constantly.

Bit of column A & B I’d suggest.

[Ghost Like]

I am a Ross Lyon fan. The best coach to coach St Kilda in my memory. That said, he needs to own how we are playing in terms of attacking and hitting the scoreboard. Put the acid on a insipid midfield and dysfunctional forward half.

Those are factors he can identify as requiring improvement, he simply needs to acknowledge that. Forget the rest of the presser.

[Scollop]

I am a Ross Lyon fan. The best coach to coach St Kilda in my memory. That said, he needs to own how we are playing in terms of attacking and hitting the scoreboard. Put the acid on a insipid midfield and dysfunctional forward half.

Those are factors he can identify as requiring improvement, he simply needs to acknowledge that. Forget the rest of the presser.

The insipid midfield isn’t something that he discovered this year. From the moment he coached his first couple of practice games over 12 months ago he was complaining that they can’t get it done (have we forgotten the leaked private audio)

So therefore…you have a guy who has performed very admirably for Sandringham last week and…HE IS AN INSIDE MID WHO WINS CLEARANCE. Just fkn play him. If you’re worried about his conditioning, you just manage his minutes.

We would have been competitive in the middle today with Paddy Dow

[Ghost Like]

I am a Ross Lyon fan. The best coach to coach St Kilda in my memory. That said, he needs to own how we are playing in terms of attacking and hitting the scoreboard. Put the acid on a insipid midfield and dysfunctional forward half.

Those are factors he can identify as requiring improvement, he simply needs to acknowledge that. Forget the rest of the presser.

The insipid midfield isn’t something that he discovered this year. From the moment he coached his first couple of practice games over 12 months ago he was complaining that they can’t get it done (have we forgotten the leaked private audio)

So therefore…you have a guy who has performed very admirably for Sandringham last week and…HE IS AN INSIDE MID WHO WINS CLEARANCE. Just fkn play him. If you’re worried about his conditioning, you just manage his minutes.

We would have been competitive in the middle today with Paddy Dow

Stretching there, just a little. I think Dow may be a starting midfielder for us but as he's still to play a game in our jumper and was a reject from Carlton, I'll wait for him to play a game before calling him "the difference".

[Scollop]

I am a Ross Lyon fan. The best coach to coach St Kilda in my memory. That said, he needs to own how we are playing in terms of attacking and hitting the scoreboard. Put the acid on a insipid midfield and dysfunctional forward half.

Those are factors he can identify as requiring improvement, he simply needs to acknowledge that. Forget the rest of the presser.

The insipid midfield isn’t something that he discovered this year. From the moment he coached his first couple of practice games over 12 months ago he was complaining that they can’t get it done (have we forgotten the leaked private audio)

So therefore…you have a guy who has performed very admirably for Sandringham last week and…HE IS AN INSIDE MID WHO WINS CLEARANCE. Just fkn play him. If you’re worried about his conditioning, you just manage his minutes.

We would have been competitive in the middle today with Paddy Dow

Stretching there, just a little. I think Dow may be a starting midfielder for us but as he's still to play a game in our jumper and was a reject from Carlton, I'll wait for him to play a game before calling him "the difference".

Did you watch the game last week against North Melbourne’s VFL side? Watch the last quarter

[Ghost Like]

I am a Ross Lyon fan. The best coach to coach St Kilda in my memory. That said, he needs to own how we are playing in terms of attacking and hitting the scoreboard. Put the acid on a insipid midfield and dysfunctional forward half.

Those are factors he can identify as requiring improvement, he simply needs to acknowledge that. Forget the rest of the presser.

The insipid midfield isn’t something that he discovered this year. From the moment he coached his first couple of practice games over 12 months ago he was complaining that they can’t get it done (have we forgotten the leaked private audio)

So therefore…you have a guy who has performed very admirably for Sandringham last week and…HE IS AN INSIDE MID WHO WINS CLEARANCE. Just fkn play him. If you’re worried about his conditioning, you just manage his minutes.

We would have been competitive in the middle today with Paddy Dow

Stretching there, just a little. I think Dow may be a starting midfielder for us but as he's still to play a game in our jumper and was a reject from Carlton, I'll wait for him to play a game before calling him "the difference".

Did you watch the game last week against North Melbourne’s VFL side? Watch the last quarter

I am not sure that's the best gauge of worth. That said, I really am looking forward to him playing in our seniors. He cannot make our current midfield worse, surely?

[Scollop]

Ahhhh…so you didn’t

it’s called Aussie rules footy.It’s a pretty good level comp. He was outstanding in the last quarter against North

By the way…it was Dow’s second game at VFL level. Why does he need 3 warm up games?

Why the f*** did we recruit him again?

[saintkev]

What a meandering load of codswallop. No wonder the players are confused. He just dribbles on meaninglessly.

[saintkev]

What a meandering load of codswallop. No wonder the players are confused. He just dribbles on meaninglessly.

[Teflon]

I am a Ross Lyon fan. The best coach to coach St Kilda in my memory. That said, he needs to own how we are playing in terms of attacking and hitting the scoreboard. Put the acid on a insipid midfield and dysfunctional forward half.

Those are factors he can identify as requiring improvement, he simply needs to acknowledge that. Forget the rest of the presser.

I am a Lyon fan and agree best cia h we’ve had in modern times. I don’t agree re owning - have heard him say in pressers before today when the coaching group hasn’t gotten it right. Forget the runner stuff (he’s mentioned that before too) but he again pinpointed the loss:
- they were cleaner
- they extracted better (they did) from clearance all day
- 16 inside 50’s for 1.5 ….not cashing in
- poor connection into 50 , exampled a player deciding not to kick yo our forward with 5 in there…(sounded a bit pissed about that)
- tried things - Owens mid, Sincs back, Battle forward etc

What was most telling was his comment - that’s not how he wants the side to play 1st half
He needs to fix that absolutely - but we still have some incredibly poorly skilled, dumb decision making footballers getting a game who can’t produce under pressure that’s the bottom line.

[Ghost Like]

Ahhhh…so you didn’t

it’s called Aussie rules footy.It’s a pretty good level comp. He was outstanding in the last quarter against North

By the way…it was Dow’s second game at VFL level. Why does he need 3 warm up games?

Why the f*** did we recruit him again?

Thanks for the sanctimonious crap. We recruited him to play AFL not VFL against North Melbourne. When he's ready for AFL, I will be one of his greatest fans or he will be just another disappointment, nothing more, nothing less.

[Teflon]

People whingeing we kicked 7 goals are simpletons
We kicked 1.5 in Q3 from 16 entries you turkeys ….we kick 6 and that score line looks a whole lot different!!
To suggest we are kicking low scores because Lyons game plan is forcing them too is sheer stupidity
We HAD chances
We **** em!!
How hard is it for turnips to get that ??

[Scollop]

Every week Teflon wants us to enjoy our team kicking low scores.

One day we’ll kick a perfect score of 20 goals and zero behinds.

Teflon knows it’s coming soon. Hang in there turnips

[B.M]

We kicked 7-11

Even if we kicked 11-7 that is still shitfull

Our ball movement s***
Connection is s***
Forward structure is s***
Skills are s***

And we had 6 months of training to work on all those facets

Today was like it was our first pre season game and everyone was rusty and the GP wasn’t yet embedded

[TheGreatZacsby]

Ahhhh…so you didn’t

it’s called Aussie rules footy.It’s a pretty good level comp. He was outstanding in the last quarter against North

By the way…it was Dow’s second game at VFL level. Why does he need 3 warm up games?

Why the f*** did we recruit him again?

Scollop is right. Paddy Dow had a massive last quarter and he paces out running forwards. He laced out hammer twice. He needs to come in.

[SteeleSaints]

The guy is a fraudulent 'snake oil' salesman. We are by far playing the worst brand of football I have ever seen this club play. He has duped the media and others into thinking he is some kind of super coach, but is just another bullshytting salesman taking the clubs money.

It wouldnt matter if he got out 200 messages out today the team were playing the same style they have for weeks, and it all falls at Lyons feet. Absolutely appalling coaching and a pathetic football club...why do we bother.

[SteveStevens66]

For me, the worst thing about most of his pressers but especially today, was just how flippant he is. He was totally unprofessional, at one point says ""s*** happens." I don't care how tough or ruthless he may be behind closed doors, when he fronts up to the public, I would like to see the kind of demeanor one sees from Michael Voss or Chris Scott when their teams lose. It makes a difference because Ross is the one who always mentions the supporters in his pressers, so if you are speaking to us us, act like you're serious and mean business.

And for what it's worth, we have a midfielder, albeit a champion, coaching the forward line and a midfield coach with no experience. Is this the norm among the top teams?

[jays]

The guy is a fraudulent 'snake oil' salesman. We are by far playing the worst brand of football I have ever seen this club play. He has duped the media and others into thinking he is some kind of super coach, but is just another bullshytting salesman taking the clubs money.

It wouldnt matter if he got out 200 messages out today the team were playing the same style they have for weeks, and it all falls at Lyons feet. Absolutely appalling coaching and a pathetic football club...why do we bother.

Whinging here and crying on Bigfooy about Ross u missed those years under Richo did u? Ross is the best coach we have had and best coach for the job atm get ready for another 3 years so either suck it up or go follow Tassie