St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has risked a fine from the AFL after a lengthy quarter-time spray delayed the start of the second term against Geelong on Thursday night.
The Cats led 4.2 to 0.0 deep into the opening quarter until the Saints pulled the margin back with two goals but Lyon still remained furious with his team, taking control of the huddle and refusing to let players break into line groups.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Furious Ross Lyon holds up game for lengthy spray
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“The quarter-time break break goes for six and a half minutes, and Ross the Boss has done this for five of the six and a half minutes,” Brian Taylor said on Channel 7.
“They haven’t spoken to any line coach.
“You notice all of the officials have been ordered back, not to come near the players, not to talk to them while Ross is actually talking.
“He wanted to get a message across and he wasn’t worried about treatment, doctors or lollies — you were having none of that.”
Nick Riewoldt, Lyon’s former captain, laughed as he joked: “You were lucky if you got a sip of water.”
Hamish McLachlan added: “(There was no) ‘are you OK sweetie’, it was ‘give me some endeavour!’”
Ross Lyon delivered a lengthy spray to his St Kilda players at quarter-time against Geelong. Credit: 7AFL
Lyon was still having an animated discussion with club great and assistant coach Robert Harvey as they jogged off the ground, with the umpires and players already prepared to resume the game.
“He’ll get a fine for that,” Taylor said.
“He actually delayed the start of the quarter, Ross. He can go (at his players).”
Riewoldt laughed again: “Trust me, I know!”
St Kilda hung tough for the first five minutes of the term but a turnover deep inside their defensive 50 fell to Geelong star Gryan Miers, who quickly kicked his first goal of the night.
Despite that the Saints initially earned praise for responding to Lyon’s message.
“It looks like St Kilda have really got their noses in over the footy now and they’re digging in, aren’t they?” Taylor said.
Riewoldt replied: “Might’ve had something to do with the ‘no lollies’ at quarter-time, BT.”
Luke Hodge noted the Saints had already recorded eight tackles in six minutes of second-quarter game time compared to two in the entire first term.
But it didn’t last.
Miers struck again before Saints veteran Callum Wilkie gave up a holding free kick on Ollie Henry, despite protesting that Henry had grabbed the jumper first.
Henry converted to extend Geelong’s lead beyond five goals.
St Kilda hit back later in the term through Jack Higgins but missed the chance to cut the margin even further when Mattaes Phillipou sent his deep set shot through for a behind, only reducing the deficit to 27 at half-time.
Higgins appeared to pull up sore after an attempted tackle and limped off the ground.
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