BARRETT: Ross Lyon fighting for his footy life
The Freo mentor's coaching style is unsustainable, writes Damian Barrett
www.afl.com.auHere’s the latest overview of Ross Lyon’s coaching career:
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Current status: Ross Lyon is the senior coach of the St Kilda Football Club, having begun his second stint with the Saints in 2023. He led St Kilda to a strong start in 2023, finishing sixth on the ladder with the league’s best defensive record, though they were eliminated in the elimination final. This places him in the role through the initial years of his four-year deal announced in 2022 for the 2023–2026 period.[2][8]
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Recent career arc: Lyon previously coached St Kilda from 2007 to 2011, then Fremantle from 2012 to 2019, culminating in a 2013 AFL Grand Final appearance with Fremantle. He was sacked by Fremantle in August 2019 after four underwhelming seasons, and briefly spoke about his coaching future before returning to St Kilda in 2023.[3][4][2]
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Notable themes and impact: Lyon is known for his detailed, defense-oriented coaching style and high standards, which have been cited as driving player development and delivering strong defensive metrics even when offensive outputs were uneven. His tenure at St Kilda in 2023 emphasized a disciplined game plan with a defensively solid foundation.[8][2]
Would you like a concise timeline of key milestones with dates, or a current-season snapshot (2026) including win-loss record, ladder position, and notable match results? I can also pull directly cited sources for each item if you’d like.