Ross Lyon. Photo: Getty
Camera IconRoss Lyon. Photo: Getty Credit: Supplied/Getty Images

Lyon’s sacking to shake up AFL’s coaching scene

AAPFremantle Gazette

AFL great Jonathan Brown says coaches Leon Cameron and John Worsfold should be feeling nervous now that Ross Lyon is on the open market.

The Dockers dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when they sacked Lyon as coach and Steve Rosich as chief executive.

Lyon still had a year to run on his contract, and is set to receive a payment in excess of $600,000 from the Dockers next year if he fails to – or chooses against – joining a rival club in 2020.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Cameron still has a year to run on his GWS coaching contract, while Essendon’s Worsfold is also contracted for next year.

But both coaches are under pressure after inconsistent seasons.

Ground zero at Freo after Lyon sacking

Ross Lyon sacked as Fremantle coach

Ross Lyon faces the press after his sacking. Photo: Josh Garlepp/Twitter
Camera IconRoss Lyon faces the press after his sacking. Photo: Josh Garlepp/Twitter Credit: Supplied/Greig Johnston

The sixth-placed Giants (12-9) have copped thrashings from Hawthorn (56 points) and the Bulldogs (61) over the past fortnight and are running out of time to snare a premiership from their talent-laden list.

Worsfold has been under huge pressure all season but that eased somewhat after last week’s 32-point win over Fremantle that secured their finals berth.

Brown, who played 256 games for Brisbane during a decorated career, rates Lyon as one of the top three AFL coaches, and believes Fremantle were wrong to sack him.

Lyon hasn’t publicly declared whether he wants to coach next year but Brown feels like the 52-year-old would be a good fit at GWS.

“I would be nervous if I was Leon Cameron coaching GWS,” Brown told Nova 100.

“GWS has got a lot of talent based in Sydney, a lot of talent and someone like Ross could come in and shape them right up.

“I would be nervous if I was John Worsfold at Essendon. It’s a big one, now Ross Lyon is in the game, there would be some nervous board members.

“I just think Worsfold is on shaky ground.

“If the Bombers fail end of September … there has been talk behind the scenes that potentially there’s some factions trying to push Woosha out of the Bombers.”

Worsfold has been touted as a possible contender to succeed Lyon at Fremantle.

Collingwood assistant Justin Longmuir is the early frontrunner for the vaceant Dockers position, with Peter Sumich and Brad Scott other candidates.