SAINTS' losses give Lyon food for thought
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon had a lot to think about on the flight back from Coffs Harbour on Sunday morning, after the Saints had lost their last NAB Challenge match to Sydney by 31 points on Saturday night.
And although surrounded by 10,000 fans at the St Kilda family day on Sunday, he let loose, telling The Age he was at a loss to describe his team's poor form.
"We've got some work to do," he said. "We're certainly not in the form we'd like to be.
"We've got a massive challenge ahead of us."
The Saints had also lost its NAB Cup semi-final against Essendon by 39 points.
Lyon said the team was not playing with the intensity the Saints "were renowned for".
The team will welcome back to the group Zac Dawson, Jack Steven, Paul Cahill and Rhys Stanley, who have ended a suspension after breaking team rules during the pre-season camp in New Zealand.
Lyon pointed out that although the four did not train with the team, it was not really a suspension: "It was just an opportunity for them to recognise what they need to get their life back on track and then their football careers.
"It wasn't about punishment. It's about solutions."
Magpie coaching solution to stick
Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert told the Herald Sun that speculation the Magpies would not continue with their plan to switch coaches should they win back-to-back flags had no traction within the club.
"The situation today is exactly the same as when we announced it and that is Mick (Malthouse) is going to coach for two years and Bucks (Nathan Buckley) will coach for three years after that," he told the paper.
"We believe and we are committed to a leadership plan we thought would bring the greatest success over a five-year period and we're really happy how that's going so far."
Happy the club should be - since the transition plan was announced in mid-2009, the Magpies have become the power team in the competition, playing in a preliminary final, winning the 2010 premiership and the 2011 NAB Cup.
Top Dogs for VFL
AAP reported that Brian Lake, Adam Cooney, Robert Murphy, Dale Morris, Patrick Vespremi and Justin Sherman could line up for Williamstown in the VFL pre-season match against Box Hill on Friday.
All are in need of further match practice ahead of the season opener against Essendon, with Lake not having played at all this year after off-season surgery for an array of ailments.
Coach Rodney Eade told the agency that things were on track for Lake to play this week, and that a decision for round one would be made after that outing.
Geoff Slattery is the managing editor of AFL Media. The views in this piece are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of the AFL or its clubs
