‘Wanted a hard-arse’: Saints coach’s ruthless call ticked off as big selection statement floated

'Can't just be nice Ross all the time' | 02:40

An audacious St Kilda selection statement has been floated after it fell by 45 points to reigning premiers Brisbane in a disappointing display.

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And Ross Lyon’s bold early sub call has been praised amid a great’s push to play a back-half ball user as a full-time midfielder.

The Saints were thoroughly outmuscled by the Lions when it came to clearance and territory; by half-time posting just 18 inside-50s, 12 clearances — their fourth-worst first-half result in 10 years — and a -33 clearance scoring differential.

They wound up losing the clearance count by 18 — and were -15 for stoppage clearances — and the inside-50 battle by 23.

As vision played of an animated Lyon at quarter-time on Saturday, two-time premiership Kangaroo David King detailed what the coach was likely lamenting in his huddle.

“It’s hard to 100 per cent know what they’re talking about when you’re trying to read lips and you’re trying to work out what the hand gestures (mean) ... but I guarantee you it was about the handball cough-ups in that first quarter — and some of these just look soft,” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack.

“They make your football club look really weak. And this is not a Ross Lyon trait. This is not what you want.”

King suggested even the skipper, who was one of the culprits when it came to easy cough-ups, could find himself a casualty in the same way Tim Kelly, Bayley Fritsch, Jacob van Rooyen and Liam Jones have this season.

“They just coughed up the ball far too easily — that’s your main man in the midfield, Jack Steele, who I would give a spell to (in the VFL) if he’s going to continue to do that sort of stuff,” he said.

“I think you need to make a statement; we’ve seen it around the league at the moment, and unfortunately for marquee players, it’s worked.

“We saw what happened to Liam Jones, we saw what happened to Bayley Fritsch and (Jacob) van Rooyen the week before. They are big calls, but we’re playing for big stakes.

“You can’t just be nice Ross all the time. And I think selection is the ultimate leveller. You’ve got to make a statement as a team.”

Lyon quizzes journos in tense presser | 08:16

Lyon pulled the tactical sub halfway through the second quarter in an eyebrow-raising call, removing 19-year-old midfielder Hugo Garcia after four disposals and one tackle in limited action.

Former gun St Kilda ball-getter Leigh Montagna didn’t agree with the assertion from some that Garcia was made the “scapegoat” on Saturday.

“And when they did cough it up, they weren’t swivelling their head and finding the Brisbane Lions players, even defending the way they should’ve,” Montagna said on Fox Footy.

“He (Lyon) gave the spray, he didn’t get the response he wanted during the second quarter, so he had to make a statement. I don’t necessarily agree that young Hugo Garcia was a scapegoat; (Lyon) just had to change something.

“He had to take someone off and try to mix it up. That was the way that he went.”

In response to scattered Lyon criticism for pulling the 16-gamer early, Herald Sun chief footy writer Jay Clark said supporters couldn’t have it both ways with regards to the veteran mentor’s ruthless tendency.

“I don’t know why we’re cooking Ross Lyon for making the sub (call), because that’s the sort of leadership and bold decision-making St Kilda certainly needs,” Clark said.

“They haven’t won a flag in 60 years; that’s what they need.”

King added: “Saints fans wanted a hard-arse, and now they’ve got one — you can’t have it both ways.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 26: Ross Lyon the coach of the Saints looks on during the round seven AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium, on April 26, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

Among multiple magnet moves in an aim to get the Saints off the canvas, Lyon swung smooth-mover Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera from the half-backline into the midfield at half-time, with Montagna on Sunday advocating for a full-time switch.

“I think they’ve got to make a change, they’ve got to try something ... is it time now to just give a full six-week block of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera as a midfielder, and let’s just see what he can do,” the dual All-Australian said.

“I know, Kingy, for two-and-a-half years you’ve been (on this) — (he attended) 18 centre-bounces in the second half, and he did make a massive difference.

“He’s their most talented player. He’s not going to play like George Wardlaw in there, but what he can do is he can make things happen, and I think they’ve just got to explore it and see.”

Extraordinarily, Wanganeen-Milera was the 46th-ranked player int he first half on Saturday playing off half-back, before surging to outright No.1 in the second half while playing around the footy.

“I just want to see it now,” Montagna added. “Give it a real crack, they’ve still got (Jack) Sinclair at half-back, their ball movement is not going that well anyway from half-back. Throw someone else back there, but give it a go.”

The 22-year-old finished with a season-high 32 disposals, four clearances, four inside-50s, a goal and 682 metres gained.

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