Mega Thread The Media Thread

[salim malik]

No it wasn't

It's not. Then I want my membership refunded, they got me under false pretenses .

 

[Monument Hills]

Rebuild has clearly been on an upwards trajectory over the past 3 years so unsure how some would think it was botched.


The only thing that has been botched is the availability of our players to get on the park.

this. on paper IMO we have a good list albeit young and experienced with lots of potential which will change in due course. The main issue we are having is keeping them on the field. Our best 22 if we can get them on the field together is good enough to make finals.

 

[theGav56]

Yardstick doesn't equate to bottom line does it. I think finals is a good yardstick. Get there and we are on track. Get close and we are heading in the right direction. Bottom 4, and we are short of where we should be.

 

[raffrox]

It's not. Then I want my membership refunded, they got me under false pretenses .

You might be owed a few years of refunds then to be fair

 

[raffrox]

Yardstick doesn't equate to bottom line does it. I think finals is a good yardstick. Get there and we are on track. Get close and we are heading in the right direction. Bottom 4, and we are short of where we should be.

Yep, that's fair enough I reckon.

 

[Johnny Dalmas]

From the Alcock presser the day that Lyon was sacked:


8:05 -- Alcock: "This isn't about one decision, its not about particular wins and losses. This has been something that we have deliberated over past months and having arrived at a decision, we are now presenting it today. This is about the future of the club and I think as I have highlighted both Steve and Ross leave a very strong legacy at this club."

8:27 -- Reporter: "You committed to a rebuild though but you are not going to go through with it with Ross, you committed with Ross. Why was Ross not the right man?"

8:32 -- Alcock: "The decision that we have made today in relation to our senior coach comes from us not being in a position to take our senior coach forward post 2020. And we are concerned if we did not make this decision today we would be in a sense treading water for twelve months. So we have brought that forward and made that decision today."

8:57 -- Reporter: "Is it true there was a Board Meeting on Saturday night when the decision was made?"

9:00 -- Alcock: "The decision was made on the weekend, correct."

9:04 -- Reporter: "Why now and not earlier in the season when they lost five out of six games ..."

Alcock, interrupting: "As I indicated, this is not about individual wins and losses and its pretty clear we have had some challenges this season with injury so we need to take that into account. This is about the future of the club as I have indicated for the next five or ten years and where we see ourselves both on-field and off-field."

9:28 -- Reporter: "Just on that was there any hesitance from the club about their inability to potentially retain key players? Because we have lost key players previously and there is some talk about some key guys leaving this year. Was that at all a concern?" [note: Alcock nodds head consistently throughout question]

9:38 -- Alcock: "Clearly many things have been considered in it but as I've said and I'll repeat it again: we were not in a position to extend Ross's contract post 2020. That is a decision that we have made. Having made that decision, what we did not want to do was to go into season 2020 with this being out for public debate and the pressure that comes with that. And that in fairness to our coach Ross Lyon frees him up to pursue his future and it also frees our club up with clear direction for the future and that is what we are doing here."

...

12:07 -- Reporter: "Was a lack of skill development one of your concerns as a Board?"

12:11 -- Alcock: "There are many things that were in our consideration. There are not single factors and I'm certainly not going to drift off into discussion of what is [has] made up the final decision."

===

Its clear from these comments that Lyon wasn't sacked merely because we missed finals. Once we were out of finals contention the Board felt they had the opportunity to sack a guy they didn't want coaching the club in the longer-term. There were several reasons for why they didn't want him as coach beyond 2020, but none have been formally acknowledged.

We may _speculate_ that the Board's reasons included:
- not making finals (yes I think this played _a role_)
- behaving inappropriately towards another FFC employee (it might have been resolved at the time and so there was no justification for sacking him immediately, but some on the board may not have wanted to renew the contract of a leader who sexually harassed a junior staffer)
- a worrying trend of mid-career players leaving (it is massively unfair to put the blame for this solely on the coach -- I'm not doing this, but Alcock didn't dismiss it as a factor -- but he was a part of a Football Department leadership team who failed to make a compelling case to several important mid-career players to stay)
- an overall disappointing on-field record over the last 4 years at the club. He oversaw the worst ladder drop-off in a team from one season to the next. He coached a team to conceding the most goals in a row in VFL/AFL history.
- the belief by the Board that the supporter base was increasing disenchanted with the team's performances (Alcock had mentioned elsewhere that the downwards trend in crowds was a concern for the Board)
- an overall belief that Lyon simply wasn't worth another contract, so why put up with a "lame duck" coach for 2020

Lyon losing his job wasn't about one thing and was most probably on the Board's agenda for quite a while before they pulled the trigger. I don't think missing finals helped him, but I don't think it was the deciding factor either (although it helped with timing).

 

[Bring back Drum]

Yardstick doesn't equate to bottom line does it. I think finals is a good yardstick. Get there and we are on track. Get close and we are heading in the right direction. Bottom 4, and we are short of where we should be.

The rebuild is definitely over & we are now building. I expect a Brisbane like build over the next 2 years. We will be ‘in’ most games this season & with a bit of luck win more than Brisbane achieved in that 1st year.

Next year is the season to cement ourselves as contenders, with 4-5 years of playing finals, at least.

 

[se17enteen]

We won the footy and pressured well all season, we just didn't have the structure or ball use in the back half of the season to hold up. A lot of the players put up social media photos and posts with Ross after he was sacked. Not something that common and shows the strength in their relationship. Ross also said approx 15 players came over to his house that night and had beers with him.

I think it's safe to say the vast majority of the players loved Ross. But that's not to say they won't love or thrive under JL. A change can be good for everyone and the players won't lose what Ross taught them.

And yet a lot of fringe players and young star player’s girlfriends “liked” a post about Lyon getting the sacked.

If you’re in the best 20 and are getting games each week with a healthy salary of course you’re going to love Lyon.

It’s Lyon’s job to motivate and inspire 40 players on the list not just the 20, and I haven’t even said anything about assistant coaches and staff yet. Fyfe and Walters can love Lyon all they want but that isn’t going to win them a premiership because you need 40 happy players to do that.


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[Kenny_01]

And yet a lot of fringe players and young star player’s girlfriends “liked” a post about Lyon getting the sacked.

If you’re in the best 20 and are getting games each week with a healthy salary of course you’re going to love Lyon.

It’s Lyon’s job to motivate and inspire 40 players on the list not just the 20, and I haven’t even said anything about assistant coaches and staff yet. Fyfe and Walters can love Lyon all they want but that isn’t going to win them a premiership because you need 40 happy players to do that.


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A lot? name them. That's utter tripe.

Meanwhile players that didn't play games (Sturt, Carter for example) put up social media love for him.

 

[Superkoops]

I think this Ross Lyon argument is pointless.

Anyway Rosco certainly put the mozza on poor Harley. Said he was sprinting like never before yesterday. Today an update from Melbourne that he has pinged his calf again. Born to be a commentator is ole Rosco - he’ll go good.

 

[se17enteen]

A lot? name them. That's utter tripe.

Meanwhile players that didn't play games (Sturt, Carter for example) put up social media love for him.

You calling me a liar? Lol . . I’ve posted every single one of them including screenshots last year on the Lyon sacked thread. Feel free to look for it.



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[Dirty_banchez]

Ross Lyon is the George Lucas of Australian Rules Football coaches. The year is one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine of our lord and saviour; George Lucas thrust upon the world his diabolical creation: Jar Jar Binks. Jar Jar Binks was the key to the success of the Phantom Menace and similarly, Ross Lyon thrust Harley Bennell upon the Fremantle Football Club, who would become a destabilising force at Fremantle. George Lucas persevered with Jar Jar Binks for two more movies before Jar Jar Binks was cut from the Star Wars Roster. Ross Lyon would likely have persevered with Harley Bennell until his bones were nothing but dust.

Unfortunately, the prequel movies can never be undone and similarly, Ross Lyon’s Fremantle legacy can never be undone.

 

[poshman]

They didn't want to extend Ross, for lots of reasons and if people bothered to read or listen to the subtle hints that were given by Alcock as to the reason why, they would know that. Alcock had already said that even if we got into the finals last year, Ross would have still been sacked. All you had to do is look at the way we were playing, for one. It was embarrassing. He had alienated half of the playing group. Even Fyfe admitted that. His boorish behaviour with staff, media, inappropriate behaviour etc etc etc. He wasn't a victim. Just because the club hasn't publicly vilified him, out of respect, it doesn't mean there weren't good and numerous reason for him being moved on.
Ross said premiership in 5 years, no excuses, he has been given all the resources he needs iirc

When did Fyfe say that?

Are you serious?

Alcock said that being out of finals was unacceptable - how has that changed?

 

[Jebus18]

When did Fyfe say that?

Are you serious?

Alcock said that being out of finals was unacceptable - how has that changed?

You’re talking to someone who in the same post said gotta put Ross behind us and forget and then began to blame everything on him.

 

[Firesharter]

Ross was always close to the elite players and not so with the battlers. It was the same at St Kilda. The trouble is the battlers played support roles to the elite players and if they can’t play their roles they haven’t been developed to do anything else, so players like Schultz, Banfield, Crowden end up not knowing what they’re meant to be doing. This affects confidence and form and they run the risk of being edged out. It affected players like Sutcliffe, deBoer and Crozier.

Other than a game plan that didn’t allow much for variables, this was what annoyed me about Ross and why I’m glad he’s gone. He was great for us but the longer his tenure went the more rigid we became.

 

[MadMundy]

Are we really still talking about Ross Lyon?

 

[mightymouse75]

Ross was always close to the elite players and not so with the battlers. It was the same at St Kilda. The trouble is the battlers played support roles to the elite players and if they can’t play their roles they haven’t been developed to do anything else, so players like Schultz, Banfield, Crowden end up not knowing what they’re meant to be doing. This affects confidence and form and they run the risk of being edged out. It affected players like Sutcliffe, deBoer and Crozier.

Other than a game plan that didn’t allow much for variables, this was what annoyed me about Ross and why I’m glad he’s gone. He was great for us but the longer his tenure went the more rigid we became.

We can be grateful & realistic at the same time.
I'm sure ross new in his heart of hearts it was time as well..
I really thought he deserved to win a premiership at saints or freo.
The way he was able to galvanise 2 perennial lost to the world teams & force his will all the way to the top was amazing.
Like the players that run out of steam with that taxing game plan I think he might have burnt himself out as well..

 

[Tbonefreo]

About Ross Lyon...


It was worth a shot. Time to move on.

 

[Shadow Man]

there's a new guy.......I think his name is Justin...

 

[Firesharter]

Are we really still talking about Ross Lyon?

Why not? He was a big part of our very recent history and our most successful coach. We’re not that fragile, are we?

 

[Firesharter]

We can be grateful & realistic at the same time.
I'm sure ross new in his heart of hearts it was time as well..
I really thought he deserved to win a premiership at saints or freo.
The way he was able to galvanise 2 perennial lost to the world teams & force his will all the way to the top was amazing.
Like the players that run out of steam with that taxing game plan I think he might have burnt himself out as well..

I reckon he knew in the game against the saints late last year that it was the end. The way he reacted to that loss was unlike him.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Not much media today then?

 

[muzzington]

 

[Dale147]

Tom North

 

[Scham]

Good to hear that Dylan O'Reilly is starting to find some form too.