Sledging on the football field

[Sir Why You Little 37,122]

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.

I agree, but Ross Lyon should have done all this behind closed doors. Telling the public this will only increase it i believe, but we can only watch to see what happens.

Reverse Psychology in this situation i would not have used, at least not in January-(July if it is still a big problem maybe)

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Could go two ways.

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

I really like him as a footballer.

My thoughts exactly.

I thought the Didak/ Shaw and other incidents would have scuppered the Pies..

Times like this with either make or break St Kilda as a side. We will wait and see.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Yes, congratulations, you cottoned onto it too.

I don't think it's rocket science mate.

This stuffs been goin' on for decades. I't's nothin' new.

[Keyser Söze 0]

Yet still, many fail to recognise it for what it actually is...

[1858 285]

I don't think this is entirely about toughening up his own troops tbh but that may be part of it.

I think Lyon has reacted to a very real threat to player safety in light of the public altercation Riewoldt had. I don't profess to know exactly why Lyon said what he did but I find his use of "community standards" which he reiterated to obviously be by design. wrt the on field stuff last year he didn't seem that phased IMO.

Is it possible that he was indirectly sending a plea to the public (as subtly as possible) using the AFL clubs as a channel?

I also suspect that he is concerned about on field taunts specifically because they may manifest in the public domain rather than the pure sledging side of things which his players should be able to handle on field. From their pov perhaps they're thinking that if they can get opposition players to perhaps set an example/standard on field wrt this issue then perhaps it may propagate off field which is a much more dangerous and volatile environment which they've seen first hand with their prized player.

I could be way off here but it seems odd to say what he did without player welfare (off-field) in mind IMO.

Edited January 24, 2011 by 1858

[H_T 3,049]

I don't think this is entirely about toughening up his own troops tbh but that may be part of it.

I think Lyon has reacted to a very real threat to player safety in light of the public altercation Riewoldt had. I don't profess to know exactly why Lyon said what he did but I find his use of "community standards" which he reiterated to obviously be by design. wrt the on field stuff last year he didn't seem that phased IMO.

Is it possible that he was indirectly sending a plea to the public (as subtly as possible) using the AFL clubs as a channel?

I also suspect that he is concerned about on field taunts specifically because they may manifest in the public domain rather than the pure sledging side of things which his players should be able to handle on field. From their pov perhaps they're thinking that if they can get opposition players to perhaps set an example/standard on field wrt this issue then perhaps it may propagate off field which is a much more dangerous and volatile environment which they've seen first hand with their prized player.

I could be way off here but it seems odd to say what he did without player welfare (off-field) in mind IMO.

I think you're right 1858. And as much as it is his aim (and their club), it will not stop the banter on the field. But it may subdue it - and if so, it will be seen (to some) to have worked.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Yet still, many fail to recognise it for what it actually is...

They just trust what they read on face value. Ross Lyon isn't stupid, nor is any afl head coach.

He wants people & opposition to give to his players to test/sort them out early in the season,,,,, so they will be sorted & hardened come the business end of the season.

I think he recognises the dangers,,,, & would also want the general public to vent their spleen early, & get it out of their system.

[Keyser Söze 0]

Yep, on exactly the same page.

Lyon is no chump as a coach.

He has made the last 2 GFs with regular players in the team like Eddy, McQualter, Dempster...

He doesn't get enough credit imo.

[Redleg 41,420]

Ross is correct, sledging should now be limited to " chewy on your boot". Anything else should be a life AFL suspension. Pathetic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

He has made the last 2 GFs

and damn near won them both

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

I suspect Lyon might also be trying to recapture some high moral ground back for the club. By all accounts the grievance with the girl has been settled in house. If the anticipated sledging gets ugly and leads to the debasement of "community standards" he can go on the offensive and start blaming others with statements like "the issue has been resolved and this is detrimental to the girls ongoing welfare and privacy" or "we are helping the girl as much as we can and all this sledging is doing nothing to help her" etc, etc.

Edited January 24, 2011 by america de cali

[dee-luded 2,959]

Yep, on exactly the same page.

Lyon is no chump as a coach.

He has made the last 2 GFs with regular players in the team like Eddy, McQualter, Dempster...

He doesn't get enough credit imo.

NO, yeah, he's gone real close, but no cigar, Yet. I thought his setup was too one dimensional, & he came close. But couldn't kick enough score to get over the line.

Now their changing their setup a little. It'll be intersting to watch, & see how far they've changed & who's where in the structure.

Last year I wanted to see Goddard go to the 50 Mtr line to manup as defensive H/F on Maxwell. The Idea to stop maxwell & hurt on the scoreboard as well. That didn't really happen, to my knowledge, But gilbert did go forward for a bit, (LoL) & they looked better suited with this.

Anyway, they'll soon have to lookout for us, by about 2012. We could take their spot.

Edited January 24, 2011 by dee-luded

[Little Goffy 14,639]

Something occured to me in reaction to the 'please don't call me names' nonsense today.

In order of who did the most wrong in this incident, Nick Reiwoldt would have to be last at St Kilda.

Yet he is certainly the one who has copped the most s4i7 from it all.

Not Gilbert, who let's face it is the whole reason there's an issue, on multiple levels.

Not Dal Santo, who at least had the ignominy of an inexplicable lurid pose.

St Kilda have tried to play the 'innocent victim' card in all this, and to make that happen they put Riewoldt front and square in the spotlight, being the face of every media conference about the issue. Has anyone seen Dal Santo or Gilbert's face in a paper?

Yet, frankly, he didn't have much to do with it.

Basically, he took the heat for the team, and more specifically Sam Gilbert.

Can't help thinking he must be absolutely burning up at the injustice of it all, and at the same time his faith in the club and teammates he has lived with and represented for ten years must be at rock bottom.

So I have a bit of sympathy for Nick Riewoldt, not so much because of the photo, I couldn't really give a toss, but because... well... he's at St Kilda.

...

That said, the best sledge would be to make a point of showing him respect and mentioning what a harsh deal he was handed by his club and teammates. That'll take him off the game, count on in.

[Keyser Söze 0]

Riewoldt was officially an innocent party to it all.

Don't believe all is said in a St Kilda press release...