Ross Lyon has to be kidding with this, surely - Don't sledge us: Lyon?

How soft is he to think that opposition players aren't going to ask Nick Riewoldt, Sam Gilbert, Zac Dawson and Nick Dal Santo about camera issues, 16 year old schoolgirls and Brazilians? Such questions don't offend against anybody's human rights and I'd be disappointed if some of our boys failed to raise such matters in general conversation on the ground.

Well their 'premiership clock' has been ticking a minute or two off midnight for a few years now with no result yet. Stiff, but no glory.

No wonder Lyon's getting worried...and if there's one player you can 'sook up' and put him off his game, it's gotta be Rooey.

(Top player in most respects but he's definitely got an Achilles heel.)

Any advantage should be taken, and will. If not from the opposition then it will come from the crowd.

As long as the MFC play good, hard and fair Football against the Aints, i would expect nothing less than some clever sledging to put them on edge.

The Roo has already shown he is a little soft in this area over the years.

The Aints are in for a torrid year me thinks....Can't wait.

Should probably merge the second half of page 6 of the photo scandel thread with this one. Will make great reading!

Ross Lyon has to be kidding with this, surely - Don't sledge us: Lyon?

How soft is he to think that opposition players aren't going to ask Nick Riewoldt, Sam Gilbert, Zac Dawson and Nick Dal Santo about camera issues, 16 year old schoolgirls and Brazilians? Such questions don't offend against anybody's human rights and I'd be disappointed if some of our boys failed to raise such matters in general conversation on the ground.

Maybe, reverse Psycology... To toughen them up further, & early. And the Ol',,,,, Us v Them!

PS: He's running out of time with his list... 2 years,,, this & next, then he/they'll need to freshen it up just a tad,,,, not unlike doggies.

For mine he's got, this & next year, before a minor slip.

Edited January 23, 201114 yr by dee-luded

Only Saints players are allowed to sledge now?! They're a basket case and they deserve everything that's going to come thier way!

Don't sledge us: Lyon?

The more i read this article, the funnier it gets! It's like your mum saying to you years ago "There is a new Packet of Chocolate Royals in the Pantry...Do not open them please" I remember what i did, and it was well worth a wack around the ears!!!

Aints getting desperate???? Yep for sure... B)

I give it 5 minutes into the first Collingwood St Kilda game before the Filth's cheer squad gives Nicky Dal the one finger salute..... The pinky finger that is!!!!

The Vilification rules are to protect against abuse for reasons of race, religion or sexual preference, aren't they?. Maybe it's an admission that there's a bit of man love going on down at the Aints. Surely this has nothing to do with vilification unless Sammy Gilbert is admitting to being a bit bi-curious at the very least.

I give it 5 minutes into the first Collingwood St Kilda game before the Filth's cheer squad gives Nicky Dal the one finger salute..... The pinky finger that is!!!!

Five Minutes!

I would have thought 2 at the Max.

I suggest that the fact Lyon has raise it suggests he knows he has a problem.

If you look back over the last 3-4 years there is a recuring theme at St Kilda.

They have not won after three consecutive GF appearances.

Another miss in 2011 and it might be close to the end for RL.

A number of their better players are approaching late 20's and due to there time at the top of the ladder

the recruits of recent years have been average, the drop cannot be to far away.

Nice work Ross. He has just put a massive target on his players. Others will certainly take advantage

Well their 'premiership clock' has been ticking a minute or two off midnight for a few years now with no result yet. Stiff,but no glory.

Er poor choice of words, considering the topic

Wasn't long ago Reiwoldt sledged Lovett about belting his missus .

Open season on the Aints IMO .

Sucks to be Reiwoldt & Dal Santo , they will never , ever live this down , on field or off .

Deary me, they may have been able to gag a silly teen girl but if they think they can gag the opposition on the footy field (let alone thousands of opposition supporters) then good luck.

Edited January 23, 201114 yr by 1858

It's not the opposition players they need to be worried about, it's the sound of 20,000 people pissing themselves laughing the first time NDS touches the ball.

From the article- ''It's the ability to smile and walk away and not get involved and understand what you stand for.''

I find it ironic that Lyon would say this, after Riewoldt obviously cracked the sads and allowed a scuffle to ensue. If he was this easy to rile up whilst getting his fish and chips imagine what it is going to be like in the heat of battle, out there on the football field.

I predict this pre-season incident is going to affect their season in a negative way. I can only imagine what Sam Newman is going to do with this material. Obviously nothing too witty- but he will ensure all wounds are re-opened in a timely matter for round 1.

I love all of this tom-foolery. Whatever makes our opposition weaker I am all for.

Could go two ways.

Will be looking with interest at Riewoldts top 3 price in the brownlow.

I really like him as a footballer.

This has nothing to do with the opposition.

This is about Ross Lyon bringing the topic of opposition sledging to the fore, so the players learn to deal with it early on, before the games mean something.

He's also intimating that his players aren't mentally strong enough to handle it, essentially publicly throwing down the gauntlet to them.

People generally respond well to this sort of challenge.

He's not as stupid as many seem to think.

The Saints are being manipulated by their coach to develop a siege mentality, as mentioned earlier in the thread.

This has nothing to do with the opposition.

This is about Ross Lyon bringing the topic of opposition sledging to the fore, so the players learn to deal with it early on, before the games mean something.

He's also intimating that his players aren't mentally strong enough to handle it, essentially publicly throwing down the gauntlet to them.

People generally respond well to this sort of challenge.

He's not as stupid as many seem to think.

The Saints are being manipulated by their coach to develop a siege mentality, as mentioned earlier in the thread.

but i doubt it will work because opposition supporters can be very loud with very long memories...Lyon should have kept his mouth closed, but now it's out there.

The renting of the apartment should have been the last word the Aints ever said publicly on this matter.

Asking people to be nice about it all come footy season is all wrong i believe.

That's not aimed at the opposition or entire AFL, it's for the benefit of his players only.

Whether opposition supporters have long memories or not is entirely irrelevant.

It's clear anything Lyon could say will not deter outsiders from hurling abuse.

You think the saints players wouldnt have heard his words and cringed?

The desired effect is to embarrass his players by making them sound like children who can't take a bit of abuse.

They are being prepared with a pre-emptive defiant attitude and a desire to prove his assertion wrong.

Deary me, they may have been able to gag a silly teen girl but if they think they can gag the opposition on the footy field (let alone thousands of opposition supporters) then good luck.

I'll promise not to say naughty things about the Aints if they promise to put me up in a nice dockside apartment for 6 months. See, I'm not unreasonable.

That's not aimed at the opposition or entire AFL, it's for the benefit of his players only.

Whether opposition supporters have long memories or not is entirely irrelevant.

It's clear anything Lyon could say will not deter outsiders from hurling abuse.

You think the saints players wouldnt have heard his words and cringed?

The desired effect is to embarrass his players by making them sound like children who can't take a bit of abuse.

They are being prepared with a pre-emptive defiant attitude and a desire to prove his assertion wrong.

Embarrassing someone can also have the reverse effect - making them resent you. Risky strategy and reeks of desperation in my opinion.

Not at all.

Lyon has said something that indirectly embarrasses his players, very purposefully.

It's a strategy commonly used and proven effective.

Coaches aren't meant to be your mates, and for good reason.

But he hasn't come out and targeted them directly - Ross is too smart and subtle for that.

He's obviously also happy to appear an idiot to those who don't think a little deeper, for the better of the team.

That's not aimed at the opposition or entire AFL, it's for the benefit of his players only.

Whether opposition supporters have long memories or not is entirely irrelevant.

It's clear anything Lyon could say will not deter outsiders from hurling abuse.

You think the saints players wouldnt have heard his words and cringed?

The desired effect is to embarrass his players by making them sound like children who can't take a bit of abuse.

They are being prepared with a pre-emptive defiant attitude and a desire to prove his assertion wrong.

http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24307&view=findpost&p=394453

Yes, congratulations, you cottoned onto it too.