Saints News Ross on the Media

[Persevering Saint]

This from the Hun today - just showing how "easy" the media has made things for Ross Lyon.

'Just be your bloody self'

Mark Stevens | February 20, 2009 12:00am


ROSS Lyon knew they were coming for him. A wide range of AFL contacts, built across 25 years in the game, reported back with a booming wake-up call.



Lyon can recall friends telling him many in the media were muttering: "Your mate doesn't say much. We'll get him on the way out. We don't trust him."
At first, Lyon was annoyed.
"They didn't even know me," he said.
But as the blunt second-hand appraisals kept coming, Lyon started taking note.
"I thought, 'If that perception is there, I've got to take some responsibility . . . hang on, everyone can't be wrong'."
Then came the ultimate reality check.
"My wife told me, 'Just be your bloody self'," Lyon said.
"I thought, 'Gee, if she's picking it up . . .'."
It was midway through 2007 - Lyon's first season as St Kilda coach - and he was copping it for his abrasive, secretive style in press conferences.
Herald Sun chief football writer Mike Sheahan went as far as dubbing him "rude".
"I was the first one to say, 'I'm taking responsibility'," Lyon said.
Lyon sought advice from senior journalists and leading media analyst Peter Maher.
"I withdrew, there's no doubt. I was a bit defensive," Lyon said.
"Everyone's looking for content and you have some responsibility to buy in. By saying nothing at times, I really annoyed people.
"I can be dry. I learned some lessons early."
Lyon delivered plenty of bumps in his playing days at Fitzroy and Brisbane, but said he reacted badly when a "shirtfront" came his way six weeks into his debut season at the Saints.
The Herald Sun ran a back page story headlined "Bring It On" on the day of a blockbuster Friday night clash against Carlton.
On the issue of handling the pressure of the job, Lyon said: "My profile says my stress tolerance is really high. So throw a brick at me."
The link was obvious. Former Saints coach Grant Thomas ate pressure for breakfast; the new coach eats bricks.
"I probably came in a bit open and honest and walked into a shirtfront," Lyon said.
"I am trusting. I trust until I'm burnt. But there was one that got me.
"It was a relaxed quote. The comments were a bit flippant.
"But when they're isolated you think to yourself, 'What an idiot'.
"My players laughed about it. Two people worry about it - the bloke who wrote it is rapt and the bloke on the end of it is howling."
Lyon conceded the experience left him feeling like ripping the welcome mat away from all media and for several weeks his public persona became darker.
But the advice from Maher and senior media people was clear: Move on.
"You can't hold everyone responsible," Lyon said.
"I really did change.
"Civility does cost nothing - so I try and interact."
Trouble is, perceptions in football take a long time to shake.
When told the Herald Sun had landed an interview with Lyon on the Saints' Gold Coast community camp, one Saints fan in the office sarcastically replied: "Good luck."
In reality, Lyon was as relaxed and forthcoming as any senior coach in the competition.
Yes, it is February, but away from the glare of cameras, he is the type of bloke you could enjoy having a punt and a pot with on a Saturday afternoon.
And heading into his third season he is adamant the defensiveness of 2007 is long gone -- even if others are not convinced.
"I've learned once a perception is created, how hard it is to change," Lyon said.
Don't brace yourself for "Tuesdays with Rossy", but you might be seeing more bubble to go with the dry-as-a-chip humour this year.
And Lyon is adamant his door is always open.
In the early days, Lyon said media requests were being shepherded away before they got to him.
It created the perception that it was easier to get an audience with the Pope.
Now, it will be Lyon saying yes or no. And, more often than not, the answer is likely to be yes.
"From now on, any requests for me comes to me and I'll make the decision . . . I'm the one getting trashed and copping it," Lyon said.
"I almost never say no. It's very rare I say no."
Of the Saints' protection policy, Lyon said: "The intentions were right, but the method was wrong.
"We need to promote the game and I'm prepared to do that. I'm more comfortable in my own skin."
When the weekly press conferences kick in, Lyon will have no trouble talking positively about St Kilda's chances this season.
The critics argue the Saints are too slow, don't have enough exciting kids and were lucky to make the top four last year.
But Lyon has pointed to several areas of improvement.
"The running in the pre-season is legitimately stronger," Lyon said.
"There's real harmony between coaches and players and we feel we really came together strongly last year. People talk about us being lucky to make the top four, but we won eight of our last 10.
"If you look at the teams that made the eight, we beat everyone in the eight bar Geelong and the Bulldogs - and against the Bulldogs we had some big quarters against them."
Lyon made well-publicised changes mid-season, throwing Brendon Goddard, Sam Fisher and Jason Gram into the midfield mix.
The common perception is Lyon cut the shackles and went for all-out attack, but the coach said the revival was built on its defence.
"We averaged 14 goals in the first half of the year and 14 goals in the second half of he year," Lyon said.
"What improved was the defence. In the second half we were No. 2 in defence (for points conceded).
"We feel our defence is pretty strong."
Max Hudghton, Jason Blake, Raphael Clarke and a returning Steven Baker and Matt Maguire will be there this year . . . perhaps even Hawthorn recruit Zac Dawson.
Fisher and Gram look likely to play as midfielders/backs, with Sam Gilbert to be trialled as a third tall up forward.
Lyon senses he now has flexibility and has thrown out the challenge to several players to rise from very good to elite.
"If we're to improve, the bottom line is (Nick) Dal Santo, (Justin) Koschitzke, (Leigh) Montagna, although he played solid, (Sam) Gilbert, (Farren) Ray, (Luke) Ball . . . that's where our collective improvement is," Lyon said.
"They need to do what Sam Fisher has done and elevate themselves.
"That's what Geelong did. Gary Ablett was a good player who turned into a great player.
"But they've got the talent to do it . . . you can throw Goddard, Gram, (Adam) Schneider and Xavier and Raph Clarke in as well.
"We think that's enough collective talent if they improve.
"Nick Riewoldt's going to play the same - Sam Fisher, Baker, (Stephen) Milne, Hudghton, (Lenny) Hayes . . . they're probably not going to change much and probably can't change much.
"Then you've got (Steven) King and (Michael) Gardiner."
And Lyon hopes that list of names will help smash another perception: that the Saints play stodgy footy.
He is quick to fire off a question: Who averaged more goals - the Saints of 2006 or '08?
"We kicked 10 more goals than in '06. That might surprise some people," Lyon said.
"Everyone remembers 2004 and 2005, but when I took over the attack was eighth. I think footy had changed.
"The players will say, 'Rossy lets us play'.
"Our play-on percentage is healthy.
"They were a low-possession team when I got here - 320 or 330 a game.
"They were low possession when I had them early, but in the second half of last year we were going at 360 possessions with 150 handballs a game.
"I don't know how you can be a stop-and-prop team when you average 360 a week."
It gets back to a common theme.
"I understand perceptions take a long time to change," Lyon said.