Walls gave Lyon the Job...or did he??

[saintsRrising]

Back when Lyon was hired we had a number of posters who stated that Lyon got the job only due to his friendship with Walls who according to them "gave " RL the job.

Interesting recent article that shed some light on how Lyon actually got the job:


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/ ... 72,00.html

As was stated back then Ross Smith was central to the process to find our new coach:

Instructed by poker-faced Brownlow medallist Ross Smith, the St Kilda coaching selection panel put the final four applicants through hell, one by one.

When Ross Lyon arrived for his interview, the warmth ended with the handshake.

Smith, chairman of the selection group, had told his understudies: Be disarming, give him nothing, don't respond to any body language and at all costs avoid giggling at his jokes.

So Ross was central....with Walls just one of the panel.


The Sainstional Myth put about was that Walls put up Ross's name...and then gave him the job..

It is considered football gospel that Walls, a long-time supporter of Lyon, pulled his name out of the draw late.

But, in fact, it was newly appointed football manager Ken Sheldon who first thrust Lyon's name forward - at least a fortnight into the "process''.

But it is fact that he was first to prod the others and point them left-field in Lyon's direction.

It is understood several board members had eyes only for the usual suspects on the coaching carousel.

"I was just part of the process. My contribution's minimal,'' Sheldon said

So it was Kenny and not Walls that put Ross's name forward.

On Ross's Gameplan, interesting reading Voss's take:

But Voss said the players were to blame for the stodgy, low-scoring football as the Saints started slowly in 2007, before improving to finish ninth.

"Ross was all about structure - having a Plan B when Plan A doesn't work out,'' Voss said.

Voss said Plan A was to attack, with defence the fall-back.

"In the initial stages, we probably concentrated a little bit on Plan B too much. That became Plan A purely because we were quite an adaptable bunch and willing to please,'' Voss said.

"That probably led to us becoming defensive-minded and actually struggling to get back into our free-scoring mentality.

"We had a bit of a blaze-away mentality . . . Ross was working at moving the ball forward systematically, not losing possession, and working a shot on goal.
"Initially, it took the momentum out of our sails a little bit.''

Though Voss re-affirmed that GT was good at motivating the players:

"Thommo had strong beliefs. He reaffirmed that it was about attitude, winning the hard ball and putting your body on the line for the team,'' he said.

though strategically their were differences.

"With Ross, everybody had to play their part in the defensive side of the game. If you don't bring your defensive game, you don't play.

"Thommo had his indicators that he went by, he didn't just free-wheel it.

"But Ross had a different set of numbers that he is really, really stringent on and holds right up there.''


PS: We owe a lot to our club great in Ross Smith (player, capatain, coach and Brownlow Medalist). Not only did he doa storling jon on the coaching selection panel......but our Mr Fixit was then given the task of overhauling our player conditiong and fitness management to overcome our problems. With AIS advice Ross in this area has done a great job as well.

[perfectionist]

OK. It was me.