Gary Lyon

[Sharks On A Plane]

I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family.

 

[Duskfire]

Is that you, Gary?

Seriously, Lyon is the sort of guy who would infuriate me if I supported Melbourne. He's in one minute, out the next. He's bagging them out, but then goes on to say he can't help them. The sickening thing is that he's got an exceptional football brain and would be a far better coach that what most would think. But no, Gary's too wonderful to be associated with the current train wreck. He can't take time out of his busy schedule of working 6 hours a week on TV to help the club that made him what he is.

You make it sound like Melbourne gave birth to Lyon and helped pay for his schooling. He played football for them, thats it. If it wasnt the MFC, it would have been another club, because its not like Lyon was a horrible player. Again, I am not sure why everyone thinks he has some weird obligation to help them.

Geelong had something similar with Sam Newman, who did little to help during the "dark ages" except offer criticism. Yet from a supporters perspective, I personally never cared, because he obviously didnt want to put in anymore commitments, and thats his choice.

 

[The BIG X]

You make it sound like Melbourne gave birth to Lyon and helped pay for his schooling. He played football for them, thats it. If it wasnt the MFC, it would have been another club, because its not like Lyon was a horrible player. Again, I am not sure why everyone thinks he has some weird obligation to help them.

Geelong had something similar with Sam Newman, who did little to help during the "dark ages" except offer criticism. Yet from a supporters perspective, I personally never cared, because he obviously didnt want to put in anymore commitments, and thats his choice.

My understanding is Newman applied for the Geelong coaching job in their 'dark ages' and and was knocked back.

 

[blitzer]

I must say I can't see why the burden of Melbourne's predicament falls squarely on his shoulders. He's said he doesn't want to coach, why would anyone want a coach that doesn't want to coach? He may not even believe he has the capacity to coach, you need a lot of specific attributes to be an AFL coach and its not all about understanding a gameplan either. You need to be a people manager, you need to be tough and not football field toughness but resilient in the face of doubters and knockers and there will be plenty in the early years. Fronting up to the media after a tough loss or speaking about sensitive issues is not an easy job. Frankly its far too demanding a job for someone that doesn't want it. If Melbourne decide they need a new coach then they should look for someone who wants to be a coach, and has proven experience.

Also lumping in Voss, Hird and Buckley together to me seems a bit rich considering they all took different paths to become coach at their clubs. Buckley wanted to be a coach all along and Collingwood wanted him to be at their club so they worked out an arrangement even though they had a great coach already. I'm not as sure of Voss' rationale for coaching at Brisbane but he had limited experience before being thrust into the head role at Brisbane but he's been given plenty of time to learn. I can't recall if he spent any time as an assistant or if he went straight into senior coaching role (I remember he had his media role as the NAB analyser).

Hird I think is probably the most similar situation to Lyon if he was to coach. Hird had minimal coaching experience and came to help the club from a situation he saw as dire, he probably didn't always have the ambition to coach but wanted to help the club. That said the club was smart/well resourced enough to be able to surround him with experienced coaches including Bomber Thompson so that he was able to avoid major mistakes in his first few years.

If Lyon was to take on coaching it would be a mighty big leap of faith. He won't be as well resourced/supported as Hird was at Essendon. He won't have coaching experience. He will have a group that is devoid of leaders and has been cellar dwellars for 5+ years. It seems a pretty mammoth task.

 

[Noobz0r]

The point is that if Lyon doesn't feel up to it, that's fine. If he feels he would rather pursue his media career, that's fine.

But he can't keep assuming the position of someone who is there for the footy club. He helped them appoint coaches FFS.

It's all or it's nothing. Melbourne are in all sorts and they need leadership. He doesn't have to be a coach, he can be a spiritual leader like Jimmy.

 

[Tulip]

As has been pointed out by others - he is just waiting for MFC to one day magically become contenders, then he'll become coach "in the best interests of the MFC reaping the maximum rewards from their position". Typical MFC downhill skier. Reality is they will never get to that position in his lifetime.

Stiff to either put a clock on Garry's life, or claim that the Dees won't be contenders for decades.

 

[The Bomb]

Gary Lyon has done enough damage, He is not suited to make such decisions

selected Bailey then Neeld, yet says no to Sheedy!

best thing Gary Lyon can do is try and move heaven and hell and finally get Sheedy there next year, doesn't need to be on a coaching level just have him build the club back up and give some of the youngsters some hope.

 

[yaco55]

Gary Lyon and Dermott Brereton both put the riches of the media instead of coaching, which is fine.

As Bomb stated Lyon had done enough damage.

 

[hailblighty]

Fook Him.. Its that simple

 

[shiva25]

Gary Lyon has done enough damage, He is not suited to make such decisions

selected Bailey then Neeld, yet says no to Sheedy!

best thing Gary Lyon can do is try and move heaven and hell and finally get Sheedy there next year, doesn't need to be on a coaching level just have him build the club back up and give some of the youngsters some hope.

Sheedy never wanted the job in the first place which is why he chose Neeld. Sheedy is past it and wont coach again after this year as he is getting on in years and not even he will make a differnece in the short term

 

[juzzo]

He only stepped in because his dying friend asked him to. Not that difficult to understand surely.

 

[Vtorians]

Well at least one things gone right for the Dee's this week then

 

[DerpWerls]

Garry should stick to taking pot shots at 20 yr old footballers from his ivory tower.

Oh wait he is doing that.

 

[Messenger]

Yes, but none of them gave up their media commitments to coach or put themselves into the Presidential role once the season had already started, did they? If you're going to make such a siesmic shift in your career, commit yourself properly and make a difference, jumping on the horse in the run isn't the way to do it.

Jason Dunstall has done both for a while now; in fact he took up a role during a very low ebb for Hawthorn. His club needed him, he answered.

Gary Lyon and Dermott Brereton both put the riches of the media instead of coaching, which is fine.

As Bomb stated Lyon had done enough damage.

Dermott had a seat on the board of Hawthorn FC during Ian Dicker's presidency while working in the media. Since then he has consulted part time for GWS.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

People are very good at deciding what others should do with their time.

Why should Garry 'get involved' (what does that even mean?). Caro is on this mission to criticise Garry for not doing more, but nobody really knows how much he has done. It's perfect - and endless stream of criticism and scapegoating without any thought or substance. What's more - people are actually jumping on board!

Lyon happens to work in the media. No other people associated with Melbourne are. This makes him a soft and accessible target. I'm surprised we haven't heard any calls for Barrassi to come back as the saviour, but I guess there's a lot of knee jerk reacting to do with harpooning Neeld and Lyon.

 

[JackFlash]

On people asking him to help the club: "I can't do it. Circumstances won't allow me"

This was seconds after saying how heavily invested he is in the club, how his adult life has been the Melbourne Football Club, how he was involved enough to be part of the decision to hire Neeld.

Distancing himself now things are going pear shaped. Using his media committments as a shield.

Lyon has always been a fence sitter!

 

[Hearts to hearts]

"Circumstances won't allow me" suggests a) there's a strong and justified demand for him to take a formal role and b) he would do it if he could.

He just says enough to keep the story alive when he'd be much better killing off the messiah talk once and for all. "I am very happy with the career I have and won't give it up, I love the club but, except for one special favour to Jim, it has to be as a fan, and Melbourne is better off putting its faith in people with greater expertise than I have." Than he should completely butt out and everyone should move on. He has no credentials to coach or get into football management and apparently neither the appetite nor the skills to get in on the political side either. I think it suits him to be courted, but it's not helping anyone.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

Correct me if Im wrong- didn't Lyon step in to help Stynes when Baileys time was up. I just thought it was a bit like Stynes wanted another man on board and Lyon offered to help (for the short term only)?

I am not sure why the football public seem to think Lyon should have to help Melbourne out now. He has a great lifestyle in the media, why would he want to be a part of Melbourne any more than he has to?

 

[BEEG]

Gary annoys me because he is always having a crack especially when its to do with my club which lets face it has not done a great deal wrong on or off field in last few years

What annoys me most is he gets very defensive when Melbourne gets called out when they deserve it

But this is not Gary's problem he is in the media he is not a coach he helped them not long ago but media is what he wants to do

 

[thejester]

The fixation on him is bizarre. His life's accomplishments are being good at playing football when he was young, and turning that into a media career in which he's never come across as anything over than a mediocre intellect. Why would you want him to try the massive task of fixing an organisation that is clearly broken, particularly when Melbourne's already turned to a would-be saviour with very mixed results? When other clubs have been in crisis they've gotten out of it by looking for people who are both passionate about the team and have the tools and the experience to fix the problems, not by appointing dribblers on the radio.

 

[Bosk]

On people asking him to help the club: "I can't do it. Circumstances won't allow me"

Weak dog of a bloke. I've lost all respect for him.

 

[Bosk]

How would Lyon help the club exactly?

He could start by dropping the pretension he has the authority to speak on behalf of the MFC when the reality is that he's doing stuff all to help it.

 

[00Stinger]

Then why is he involved in signing coaches and the like? Note he was very quick to jump down Caro's throat when she said he had a hand in Bailey's sacking...

He's happy to be involved in the positive times. Not just a media man, then.

You understand that he only got involved because it was his good mates dying wish for him to get in involved for a short time, right?

The prick of a bloke, helping out a frail and dying man, how dare he? flog

 

[shintemaster]

Can't see how a rookie coach who last played the game in the 20th century could possibly be the answer.

 

[hench]

Jason Dunstall has done both for a while now; in fact he took up a role during a very low ebb for Hawthorn. His club needed him, he answered.



Dermott had a seat on the board of Hawthorn FC during Ian Dicker's presidency while working in the media. Since then he has consulted part time for GWS.

He also got a call from Leigh Matthews to help out a young teenage half forward named Jonathon Brown.