A frustrated Ross Lyon has compared AFL coaches to neutered dogs who cannot properly direct their teams during a match because of the league’s severe restrictions on the use of runners.
The St Kilda coach was feeling the heat in the aftermath of a disappointing five-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston on Saturday – the Saints fourth loss from their past five games.
Dejected St Kilda players after their loss to Hawthorn.Credit: AFL Photos
“After coming back into coaching, there’s a lot of pressure on us, there’s a lot of pressure on me now,” Lyon said in his post-match press conference.
“I am finding it, and I am happy for the AFL to hear this, and it’s not an excuse, but we have had a lot of tight games, and we get four messages a quarter and with three minutes to go you can’t send the runner out. Which, I get that.
“[But] In my previous iterations, you could use the runner almost at will.
“You see things you want to fix, things you want to do, but, and people say, ‘We’ll kick more goals and you’ll get those opportunities’, but you are still limited, right.
“From my end, I find it incredibly frustrating. I know Luke Beveridge has spoken about it, and I think there would be a lot of coaches [speaking about it].”
Lyon’s post-match criticism of the league’s restrictions on runners followed a match in which the Saints managed just seven goals, three of them in the first quarter.
“When you think of the pressure that gets put on, and you could pick up the phone and shift some stuff and maybe score better, I don’t know, it’s interesting,” he said.
“We are like neutered dogs. We sit there and see stuff, and you can’t use [the runner], and you can’t fix [the problems]. It’s very difficult ... but it’s not an excuse.”
Saints coach Ross Lyon.Credit: Getty Images
Lyon blamed a lack of run and overlap in the first half against Hawthorn at University of Tasmania Stadium, saying the way St Kilda played had a “mundaneness and sameness” about it. The Saints controlled more of the ball in the third term for the disappointed return of 1.5.
“I said at half-time, I didn’t really like how we were playing,” Lyon said. “I just sort of said, ‘We are better than that. Let’s get some run, some overlap and go. Be bold.’
“We had 16 entries in the third quarter. I thought the kids started using their legs and cutting. Even though we stuffed a couple up, I thought that’s what we want to be more like.”
On paper, St Kilda looked to have the big forwards capable of swaying the outcome of the game against Hawthorn, but Max King and Tim Membrey could manage only three goals between them.
Josh Battle booted two second-half goals for the Saints.Credit: AFL Photos
Lyon threw Josh Battle forward after the long break in the bid to create a spark and he kicked goals at the start of the third and final terms.
“I would like to have a bit more than we are displaying at the moment,” Lyon said. “It doesn’t sit very comfortably with me.
“Criticism will come, and that’s fair enough, and people will go after Max King, but I think he is symptomatic of that problem.”
Despite the coach’s frustrations, the Saints had a chance to win the match inside the final minute when King leapt in front of two Hawthorn defenders deep in a forward pocket, but could not drag down the mark.
Had he held the grab, the key forward would have been kicking for goal and the chance to take a one-point lead with 30 seconds on the clock.
That result would have been a fitting reward for bravehearted Saints ruckman Rowan Marshall, who had a club record 23 contested possessions.
The Hawks kept their imposing record at UTAS Stadium intact, a ground at which they enjoy a 73 per cent strike rate. They hit the lead with accurate goalkicking early, and then capitalised on the contested-ball work of midfielder Jai Newcombe and the run of Karl Amon off half-back.
“It was a scrappy sort of game, a lot of pressure, a lot of intensity around the ball, a lot of repeat stoppages. I think the players handled it pretty well,” Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said.
An accurate patch of four straight goals during the first quarter – through Connor Macdonald, Nick Watson, Lloyd Meek and Dylan Moore – ultimately won them the game.
Hawks Jai Newcome and Jack Ginnivan.Credit: Getty Images
At quarter-time they led by four points, having kicked 4.1 to the Saints 3.3 and they were not headed for the remainder of the match. In the second term, Dylan Moore scrambled through his second goal to make it 5.1, and then Jack Ginnivan took advantage of a 50m penalty to goal and make it 6.1.
The Hawks could only manage two goals in the second half and 8.10 for the match.
“It was a scrappy sort of game, a lot of pressure, a lot of intensity around the ball, a lot of repeat stoppages. I think the players handled it pretty well,” Mitchell said.
“It felt like they were on top, but they never hit the scoreboard. A little bit of luck with the goalkicking, but I think our players managed the momentum of the game pretty well.
“The stoppages were all in our favour in the third quarter but they really were controlling general play and transition of the ball. I thought they really controlled the third quarter, despite the scoreboard.”
Mitchell said his side’s performance in the absence of skipper James Sicily (dislocated shoulder) “gives us enormous confidence”.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.