AT THE end of an astonishing night that saw Mark Harvey sacked from Fremantle and Ross Lyon walk from St Kilda to take his place, loyalty seemed a long lost ideal in football.

The chaotic events of Thursday night began at roughly 4:40pm AWST when Fremantle confirmed rapidly growing speculation that Harvey had been sacked; in itself extraordinary news given the coach of four-and-a-half years had one season to run on his contract.

What followed, however, was a remarkable three hours of revelations - some fanciful, some confirmed - that took everybody in the AFL community by surprise.

The immediate intrigue in Fremantle's press release late on Thursday was in the line: "The club will hold a media conference in due course to announce Fremantle’s new coach." 

When it became known that that press conference would take place on Friday morning, it was clear that Fremantle had already lined up Harvey's replacement, with some experienced operators available.

Former Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade was the first name floated, but he was sitting in a studio at The Age newspaper and immediately confirmed that he was not Fremantle's man.

Within minutes news broke that Lyon had quit his position at St Kilda and it was obvious where he was headed. News crews made their way to Perth Airport in anticipation.

This is where things got decidedly messy, with Lyon's defection stunning many onlookers who had tipped him to remain loyal to the club he had led to three unsuccessful Grand Finals.

The Saints were in need of a rebuild and, by offering Lyon an unconditional four-year deal to stay at the club, they had decided he was their best option to lead the way. The offer, however, appeared to come too late. 

In a statement on Thursday night St Kilda said that, "Until this evening the club was engaged in constructive discussions with Lyon’s management about his long term future at the Saints."

The trouble, apparently, was in speaking with Lyon's management, as it was soon revealed that the coach had been dealing with Fremantle for the past five weeks without his agents' knowledge.

Elite Sports Properties manages both Lyon and Harvey, but by the end of the night the company had one less client, terminating its relationship with Lyon when it was revealed he had been negotiating with Fremantle independently.

The five-week timeline ties in with a sustained period of Lyon dodging regulation mid-week media appearances and it was only at a specially convened finals press conference last Monday that he was pressed on the prospect of leaving St Kilda. He dodged the issue.

While the details of Lyon's defection continued to emerge, Fremantle was silent on Thursday, with the reasons behind Harvey's sacking open to speculation.

It was suggested in frenzied radio debates that he was an erratic coach who had managed relationships with his players poorly.

Given Fremantle's crippling injury list this season, there was also speculation that the coach had insisted on fielding players against his strength and conditioning team's better judgment.

The role of Fremantle's senior players in their coach's sacking was discussed, with suggestions that the tail - as it has in the past at Fremantle - was wagging the dog.

But none of these reasons washed with a furious supporter base, which hit talkback radio to voice its disgust.

Through a trying season the faithful had remained loyal to Harvey, and he had addressed them only that morning via an appearance at The West Australian Footballer of the Year Awards.

Dressed in club tie, a relaxed Harvey spoke to the breakfast crowd about his plans for the team next season. He was reportedly told of his dismissal later that day during a break in a planning meeting.

A little over 10 years ago former Fremantle coach Damian Drum learned of his fate from a journalist when he was asked, 'How does it feel to be sacked?'

Clearly, Fremantle has got better at keeping these things in-house.

Still, it is a club that boasts a loyal supporter base, and they are supporters that will want and deserve answers on Friday. What Lyon can achieve next season that Harvey supposedly could not will be top of their list.  

Nathan Schmook covers Fremantle news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_NSchmook