Carlton vs Brisbane Lions LIVE: AFL round 21 2026, scores, results, odds, stats and start time from Marvel Stadium
A stern Ross Lyon has taken aim at a journalist in a post-match press conference for the second week in a row.
The grumpy St Kilda coach took umbrage at a suggestion that he offered “stern feedback” to Mattaes Phillipou during his side’s disappointing 19-point loss to Sydney at Marvel Stadium after the Saints led by two goals at three-quarter-time.
“Can I dive into that? That’s the media narrative,” Lyon shot back at the Phillipou question. “Anytime I speak to a player, it’s strong feedback. What I was on about was a leading pattern, so you can create the identity that you want.”
Lyon was obviously disappointed that his side had coughed up nine of the game’s last 11 goals as his side struggles to maintain wildcard relevance this year.
“So, [when it comes to] Mattaes, I spoke to him calmly and rationally. You’ve turned it into strong feedback,” Lyon said.
“I’m OK, but at the end of the day, you guys interpret it how you want. [Channel 7 reporter] Mitch Cleary did it the year before, and I said, ‘Mitch, I spoke to the group and walked off calmly’.
“But when we are up, and I walk off calmly, it’s like, you don’t say anything. But when we are down, and I do the same timing, it’s like, ‘Ross gave them a serve’. It gets a bit monotonous and boring.”
Lyon asked the journalist why he used the word “stern”. He was told it was because he looked serious during his interaction with Phillipou.
“I always look serious,” the Saints coach said. “It’s a serious business. I don’t sit there eating party pies and putting on headphones, listening to [the] Fox studio to get my insights to the game, like a lot of people do, don’t they?
“They walk into the media box and put their headsets on, they don’t even watch the game, and they listen to the other experts to get their opinion. I know that because a senior journo has told me that happens.
“It happens a lot, and I haven’t got time for that. And if I give them feedback, it’s not stern. If everything was stern, do you think these kids would be growing? I’ll leave it with you. That’s probably stern feedback.”
