Ross Lyon, the St Kilda AFL coach, has received support from Indigenous players and the club's chief executive after a comment he made during a training session sparked controversy. The comment, which has been described as 'casual racism,' was made when three Indigenous players lined up together for a drill. Lyon said, 'I love the brother-boy connection, but we all have to remember, we are part of the bigger team here.'
Players Raise Concerns
The players, including star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, raised their concerns with Lyon the following day. The matter was dealt with internally but became public when journalist Caroline Wilson reported it on Channel Seven on Monday night. Lyon acknowledged his mistake, stating, 'Was I being flippant? Could it be described as casual racism? I learned a lot out of what happened.' He added, 'It didn't land where it should have landed, and I have to wear that, and I take full responsibility for what I said.'
Coach Accepts Responsibility
Speaking to media on Tuesday morning, Lyon accepted his error. 'Culture is really important and behaviour is really important and I made an error unintentionally, resolved it with my players and I’m thankful for their support,' he said. Saints chief executive Carl Dilena described the incident as a 'pretty innocent oversight' by Lyon that meant no harm. However, Dilena emphasised the importance of assessing whether comments are racist by how they are received. 'There’d be people out there going, “Oh, did it really [cause offence], was that very serious?” And Ross didn’t think anything of it at the time,' Dilena told SEN. 'But it is very challenging, and as we’ve seen in various instances, it’s how it’s received more so than how it’s delivered. That’s always the challenge with casual racism or unconscious bias. People don’t think of it, but probably need to be more aware of it.'
Emotional Response
Lyon was reportedly emotional and offered to consider his position as senior coach when he spoke with a group of players, including Bradley Hill and Wanganeen-Milera, three days after the incident. Dilena, who only learned of the matter on Monday night, expressed satisfaction with how it was handled. 'It shows that he’s running a pretty safe environment with our First Nations boys where they were comfortable to raise it with him and discuss it and just sort it out harmoniously,' he said. 'They just sorted it out between themselves like any mishap and it was a positive outcome.'
St Kilda currently sit 12th on the ladder after seven games. Lyon, aged 59, is in his second stint as coach of the club, having returned in 2023.
