“Strap yourselves in.”
Ross Lyon is not a prolific Twitter person. In actual fact, he has solely posted 10 tweets since becoming a member of the social media platform in 2013.
However this uncommon tweet from him in 2016 proved prophetic, and it stands the check of time forward of his second coming at St Kilda.
Lyon’s message signaled the information that he had dedicated to Fremantle for an additional 5 years.
That bumpy experience was delivered to a untimely finish in 2019 when he was axed following a fourth straight season out of finals motion.
Many celebrated the demise of a person dubbed ‘Ross the Boss’. A few of his personal gamers even felt relieved.
Lyon’s abrasive type would not work for everybody. You’ll be able to solely be pushed so exhausting for thus lengthy earlier than you begin to crack – mentally and bodily.
Nevertheless it at all times appeared a matter of when, not if, the self-proclaimed profession coach could be thrust again into the teaching scorching seat.
Lyon seemed set to hitch Carlton on the finish of 2021, however pulled out after telling membership president Luke Sayers he wasn’t involved in being concerned within the choice course of.
His title was briefly linked to Essendon final yr.
A return to St Kilda was by no means on the playing cards.
However when the Saints sensationally axed Brett Ratten simply three months after handing him a two-year extension, the celebs aligned for Lyon to return.
The Lyon that left St Kilda in 2011 was an unrelenting taskmaster who had a status for getting the very best out of his gamers.
However with these unrelenting calls for got here the predictable burnout – for his gamers and workers.
He led St Kilda to 2 grand finals (three together with the replay towards Collingwood in 2010) earlier than the Saints began to falter.
At Fremantle, his unrelenting methods continued. Maybe they had been even enhanced.
It bore fruit, with the Dockers reaching their first grand ultimate in 2013, and claiming the minor premiership in 2015 through the membership’s best period of success to this point.
However when his gamers began burning out, the crash and burn got here rapidly.
Fremantle fell off the cliff in 2016, shedding the primary 10 video games of the season on the way in which to a 16th-placed end.
For the primary time in his teaching profession, Lyon was going through the prospect of main a whole rebuild from the bottom up.
Lyon did his finest to embrace the problem of what he dubbed a “restump, rewire, replumb”.
The outcomes had been poor – as you’d count on with a younger rebuilding aspect.
However it’s inside these struggles the place Lyon began to evolve – not solely as a coach, but additionally as an individual.
Lyon is famend for being troublesome – each with the media and even his personal teaching workers and gamers.
Rumor has it he even had a couple of tiffs along with his former Dockers assistant Peter Sumich – considered one of which nearly turned bodily.
However within the ultimate 18 months at Fremantle, one thing shifted in Lyon.
Maybe he was swayed by the youth round him, maybe he was humbled by the continued poor outcomes.
No matter it was, Lyon began displaying extra human feelings.
There was extra affection, he turned extra expressive.
He began hugging his gamers extra, embracing a fatherly-type function.
Dare one say it, he even turned likeable.
As soon as his days at Fremantle had been introduced undone, Lyon took up roles within the media.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, the AFL web site advised Lyon they would not have the ability to afford his companies.
Lyon mirrored, got here again to the web site and advised them he would do it free of charge.
Possibly he did it to remain related within the public eye. Possibly it was out of the goodness of his coronary heart. Or possibly it was a mixture of each.
All in all, the indicators are pointing in direction of St Kilda inheriting a extra well-rounded Lyon this time round.
Issues will not be good in fact.
One can solely marvel what Lyon was saying about his personal gamers within the coaching-box audio that was by accident uploaded to a league-shared Dropbox server final week.
That mistake wasn’t Lyon’s fault – nor was it his fault that St Kilda soccer boss Geoff Walsh give up his submit simply three months after touchdown it.
Lyon faces an enormous activity to assist St Kilda grow to be related once more.
The Saints have not been a official premiership contender because the Lyon-led sides of 2008-2010.
Their record appears skinny, and Max King is amongst a 14-strong harm record that has the potential to derail their 2023 marketing campaign earlier than it even begins.
However one of many issues that Lyon does finest is instill confidence, and captain Jack Steele has already famous the Lyon impact.
“He simply calls for very excessive requirements and that is been evident from the very begin of the pre-season,” Steele advised AAP.
“He needs everybody to offer 100 p.c effort and a never-say-die perspective.
“To have somebody instill that in our taking part in group from day one is fairly highly effective.
“All of the gamers are actually shopping for into what he is bringing. Our relationship is rising and I am positive it will proceed to take action once we play video games of footy and, hopefully, win some video games this yr.”
However what in regards to the traditional Lyon sprays?
“There’s undoubtedly been sprays right here and there, however nothing too private,” Steele says.
“It is at all times in regards to the motion and the conduct and he makes that clear from the beginning.
“That is fairly vital. To create an atmosphere to really feel such as you’re not getting personally attacked is vital.
“He is had his moments the place he is been fairly clear with sure gamers, however nothing instantly on the participant.”
Time will inform as as to if Lyon will proceed to evolve or merely fall again into outdated habits.
Regardless of the case could also be, strap yourselves in, as a result of it guarantees to be one hell of a experience.
