Ross Lyon has rejected overtures from Essendon, saying there was “no vibe” to become the AFL club’s next men’s head coach.
Key points:
- Lyon says he wasn’t prepared to go through the application process outlined by the Bombers
- Ben Rutten was sacked as Bombers coach last month
- The Bombers failed in their attempt to recruit Alastair Clarkson to the club
Lyon opted against throwing his hat into the ring to replace Ben Rutten, who was sacked last month.
“I can’t articulate why,” Lyon told Triple M radio.
“Sometimes it’s just … it wasn’t vibing. There was no vibe.
“I am a million per cent out.”
Lyon, who previously coached Fremantle and St Kilda, was approached by the Bombers’ football manager, Josh Mahoney.
“Off the bat, I said, ‘look, I don’t feel it’s the right fit for me, but can you just explain what it is?’,” Lyon said.
“And he [Mahoney] was really good. Really simply, they’re going to have five or six candidates, [with] at least two steps, maybe three.
“But the first step, I wouldn’t be in. I think that’s for guys who hadn’t coached before. There’s some hurdles for them to jump and I think they narrow it down.
“The second round would be a couple of hours … [a] presentation, how you connect with players, build that relationship, what your first 30 days would look like.”
Lyon coached 305 AFL matches at St Kilda from 2007 to 2011 and Fremantle from 2012-2019, being a losing grand finalist twice at the Saints and once at the Dockers.
Lyon last year knocked back Carlton’s advances to apply for its then-vacant head coaching role, subsequently filled by Michael Voss.
Lyon’s rejection of Essendon follows the Bombers’ ill-fated pursuit of Alastair Clarkson, who has since been appointed as North Melbourne’s coach.
Rutten was axed after the Bombers failed to make the finals and despite holding a contract for 2023.
Essendon has put together a committee including Robert Walls and Jordan Lewis to choose the club’s next coach, with president David Barham indicating he would like an experienced leader.
AAP
