Departing Fremantle president Steve Harris has rubbished suggestions Ross Lyon’s coaching style is running the club into the ground, heraldsun.com.au is reporting.
“I’ve just got to call complete BS on that,” Harris declared on Monday.
“I’m really, really close to it. I’m at the club, I’m talking to the senior individuals, I’ve got strong relationships with the tier of management below the CEO and the tier of management below the coach and that is just completely wrong.
“Is Ross a demanding individual? Yes he is.
“Do people in the AFL want to win premierships and be at their best? Yes they do — and they love operating in that environment.
“What Ross has brought to the club culturally spilled out beyond the core football operations and into the broader club and we are a stronger, better club as a result of that.”
Harris — Fremantle’s president since 2009 — announced his departure at a club function an hour before Sunday’s 72-point loss to Adelaide.
Harris stepping down as president
The Fremantle Dockers boss told the Herald Sun his handover to vice-president Dale Alcock was long-planned and had nothing to do with the club’s 3-17 season.
“There’s no smoke and there’s no fire,” Harris said.
“There’s been no fallout whatsoever.”
Harris backed his board’s decision to extend Lyon’s contract by four years at the start of the season.
“Ross’ contract has been a great move for the club,” he said.
“He is one of the best coaches in the AFL and it’s fantastic for the Fremantle Dockers to have him locked in.”
Lyon said of his coaching style on Sunday: “I’ve been (in league footy) since I was 16, so it’s 34 years. “And you look at clubs that are strong and work their way under pressure.
“But I see it as a real opportunity (now) to see those that dig in.”
Harris responded to a report suggesting some Freo Dockers players preferred playing WAFL to get away from the “uncomfortable” environment at Fremantle.
“I’d just call complete bulls**t on that (too) and find it hard to believe,” Harris said.
“Do you know of any players who would rather play WAFL than AFL?
“Is that some 89-year-old bloke saying on talkback radio that he knows that because his cousins’ best friend’s neighbour told him?
“I’ve got the privilege of sitting in the post-game briefing with the players and the coaches and people want to be out there — players want to play elite AFL football.
Freo president defends Lyon, explains resignation
“When teams don’t do well, all sorts of rumours and stories go around — and a lot of it is just rubbish.”
Asked about Hayden Ballantyne’s intentions following reports that he was seeking a trade to West Coast , Harris said: “The original story, when it broke, said that Ballantyne had spoken to the coach about it and that is categorically not true.
“Hayden is a contracted player for next year ... it’s just speculation.”
Pressed on Nat Fyfe’s commitment to the club, he said: “I’ve watched the entire Nat Fyfe interview and I think he was asked repeatedly the same question — would you look around at the end of free agency?
“I think he said that free agency was designed to give players options.
“Again, it’s an aside. I think you’re talking about the same bloke who said he bleeds purple a few months’ back.
“It’s a comment from a player in a media interview — I don’t think it indicates he’s dissatisfied at the club or anything like that and it just gets beaten up as something huge.”
Harris said injuries had ruined the Freo Dockers’ season.
“Half of our leadership group has been out for most of the season,” he said.
“It’s the worst season for injuries in the history of the club.”
Harris said it was always his intention to bow out at the end of this season.
“It was a surprise to some but not to me, my board or my family,” Harris said.
“My board has been aware of this for over 12 months.”
Harris replaced Rick Hart as Fremantle president in 2009.
