It was back in 2006 when St Kilda was looking to find a new man to lead the club.
The Saints had drawn up a shortlist of names from which to choose Grant Thomas’ successor.
Ross Lyon’s name was not on it.
That’s when Carlton premiership coach and three-time premiership player Robert Walls weighed in.
Walls had coached Lyon at Fitzroy and hired him as an assistant whilst at Richmond.
“Robert Walls said to St Kilda ‘you can have all those blokes on the table, the best bloke is not even on the list’,” Sheahan said.
“They (St Kilda) went and sounded Ross out and he went down and got the job.
“He didn’t have to coach before we knew that (he could be a great coach). I trust ‘Wallsy’s’ judgement on that sort of stuff.”
Sheahan said Lyon’s performance to lift the Saints from outside the eight and into consecutive Grand Finals was outstanding.
The footy journalist admitted he wasn’t always a fan of Lyon’s suffocating structures, but he couldn’t question his ability to get the most out of his players.
Who does Sheahan think will be the AFL’s most influential player in 2014?
“If I was at a footy club, I’d like him to coach me,” Sheahan said.
“He’s pulls everyone together, he’s smart, he wakes up in the middle of the night and has as an idea and calls someone.
“It’s 24/7 for him, he’s just totally committed to what he knows is a tough job. If he fails, it won’t be for lack of effort.”
“I’d like him to be a bit more adventurous (because) I like coaches who let the good players express themselves a bit, but Ross would say, ‘you win games by squeezing other sides to death and then kicking the goals.”
The footy journalist first came across Lyon in the early 80s when the current Freo coach was playing for Fitzroy.
Sheahan remembers an individual he considered to be “a bit different and a bit outside the box”.
He said not much had changed since those days.
“He’s opinionated, stands on his own two feet, is very loyal to the group he’s with and is prepared to challenge you,” Sheahan said.
“If he took issue with something, he would let me know. He’s always been his own man, Ross.”
Sheahan on Freo heading into 2014
