‘Casual racism?’ Mis-aimed St Kilda Saints coach Ross Lyon comment at training prompts apology
Updated ,first published
Ross Lyon has offered to reconsider his role as St Kilda coach following a comment he made during training that upset domestic players at the club, according to a TV report on Monday night.
The veteran AFL coach said on his second stint at St Kilda: Age columnist and Channel Seven’s Agenda Setters panelist Caroline Wilson said the comment he made at training earlier this month “didn’t get where it needed to go” and could be interpreted as “casual racism”.
Wilson reports on the program that multiple grand finals coach Lyon said after a training exercise that brought together three Indigenous players: “I love the Brotherboy connection, but we’ve all got to remember we’re all part of a bigger team here.”
According to Wilson, the comment did not go down well with some St Kilda players, including senior Indigenous player Bradley Hill and the club’s superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
“This comment was not very welcome – certainly not to Brad Hill, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera or any of the other Indigenous players who heard the comment.
“It was Friday. Saturday night Brad Hill… called Ross and conveyed his displeasure to Ross Lyon.”
Lyon and some of the club’s players met later to discuss the issue, according to the television programme.
“I could tell everyone got a little emotional in this meeting. The players and Ross all hugged,” Wilson said.
“I asked Ross if he felt the issue was resolved. He did not want to speak on behalf of his players. He spoke to Bradley Hill tonight as a result of knowing what we would be reporting on the program.”
“My understanding is that Bradley Hill and all of his teammates who were not happy, including Nasiah, were happy and certainly acknowledged that Ross said the wrong thing, but they did not mean to be racist in any way.
“I think Brad Hill said to Ross on Saturday night: ‘Look, you wouldn’t have said that if there were three white players, so you shouldn’t have said that to us.'”
In his statement to him Agenda SettersLyon, who has coached nearly 400 AFL games at St Kilda and Fremantle, said he had “learned a lot from what happened”.
“I’m not here to justify or try to rationalize what I said. We are all only as good as the next moment, and there was a moment when I realized I misjudged it,” Lyon said in a statement.
“Did I act impertinent? Can it be described as casual racism?”
“It didn’t land where it should have landed and I have to wear that and I take full responsibility for what I said.
“I was very emotional at the meeting and offered to consider my position.”
St Kilda has been contacted for comment.
Exciting Dons forward goes down with ‘medium-term’ injury
Peter Ryan
Essendon was dealt another injury blow, with forward Isaac Kako out of the game with a back stress injury.
The 20-year-old smartly scored a goal on Anzac Day but was robbed of the opportunity as he collected 10 touches.
He has scored seven goals in six games but is showing signs of improvement as he makes his 29th appearance for the Bombers in his second season.
Essendon football manager Dan MacPherson said the problem emerged during scans of Kako on Monday morning.
“It’s a really disappointing setback for Isaac, who has been playing some exciting football for us in the early stages of this season,” MacPherson said.
“He will now need a period of rest to recover from his injury before recovering to return to play later in the season.”
The club described his absence as medium-term; That could mean six to eight weeks, but he wasn’t ready to give a definitive result.
Sullivan Robey, who played his third game on Saturday, had his preseason training interrupted by a hot spot in his back.
Kako, a new generation academy graduate, was selected with the 13th pick in the 2024 national draft. On Saturday, Robey was part of an inexperienced forward line along with Nate Caddy, Archer Day-Wicks and Archer May.
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