Ross Lyon, the experienced AFL coach currently in his second tenure with St Kilda, has expressed a willingness to reconsider his role as the club’s head coach following a comment he made during training that reportedly upset Indigenous players. This revelation came from a TV report on Monday night, where Lyon reflected on the incident and took full responsibility for his words.
Lyon shared his thoughts with Caroline Wilson, a columnist for The Age and panellist on Channel Seven’s Agenda Setters. He admitted that a comment he made earlier this month did not land as intended and could have been perceived as “casual racism.” The remark was made after a training drill involving three Indigenous players who formed a connection. Lyon said: “I love the Brotherboy connection, but we all have to remember we are part of a bigger team here.”
This statement, however, was not well received by some members of the St Kilda squad, including veteran Indigenous player Bradley Hill and star player Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Lyon acknowledged that he misjudged the moment and took full responsibility for his words.
“I’m not here to justify or rationalise what I said,” Lyon said. “We are all only as good as our next moment, and it was a moment I understand I misjudged. Was I being flippant? Could it be described as casual racism? It didn’t land where it should have landed, and I have to wear that and take full responsibility for what I said.”
The comment led to a meeting between Lyon and several Indigenous players just days later. According to Wilson, the players were initially displeased, particularly Hill and Wanganeen-Milera. However, they ultimately accepted that Lyon had made a mistake and did not believe he was racist.
Wilson reported that Lyon became emotional during the meeting and even offered to consider stepping down from his coaching position. Despite this, the players insisted that they had moved on from the incident.
“Bradley Hill made the point to Ross on Saturday night, ‘look, you wouldn’t have said that if it was three white players, so you shouldn’t have said it to us,’” Wilson said.
Hill later posted a photo on social media of himself and Wanganeen-Milera arm-in-arm with Lyon, captioning it “Sorry Caro, we love Ross.”
St Kilda has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Injury setback for Essendon
Essendon has faced another injury challenge as emerging forward Isaac Kako has been ruled out due to a stress injury in his back. The 20-year-old had shown promise, kicking a clever goal on Anzac Day but struggling to find consistent opportunities. He has managed seven goals in six matches and is playing his 29th game for the Bombers in just his second season.
Football manager Dan MacPherson confirmed the injury after scans on Monday morning. “It’s a really disappointing setback for Isaac, who’d been playing some exciting footy for us in the early stages of this season,” MacPherson said. “He’ll need to enter a period of rest now to let the injury settle before building back up towards a return to play later in the season.”
Kako is expected to be out for a medium-term period, potentially between six and eight weeks. Meanwhile, Sullivan Robey, who played his third match on Saturday, also faced a back issue during pre-season.
Zak Butters remains focused on the season
Zak Butters, one of the most sought-after players in the AFL, has not yet decided on his future and plans to make a decision at the end of the season. Despite numerous multi-million-dollar offers from Victorian clubs, Butters remains committed to Port Adelaide.
“I feel like the end of the season will probably be when I make my decision,” Butters said. “And I think I’ll be sticking to that all year.”
Butters, who is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, is being pursued by clubs such as the Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Geelong, Essendon, and Richmond. Port Adelaide has pledged to match any offer.
Butters recently found himself in the spotlight after a controversial tribunal case involving an alleged abuse of umpire Nick Foot. However, he was cleared after the appeals board ruled that natural justice was denied during the hearing.
“I keep it pretty clear to myself… keep the off-field stuff to the off-field and worry about my performance foremost and how I control that,” Butters said. “That’s what I’m paid to do.”
