I really hope Freo get him back as an assistant at the end of his Suns career (though perhaps not as a skills coach). I remember Harvey gushing about his character as he rehabbed his broken leg, and I don't think anyone has every had a bad word to say to him.
As an aside, Barlow of all people probably has grounds to hold a grudge against Lyon, yet he had only positive things to say about him. Mick seems like too good a bloke to really sledge someone, so I'm not sure how much you can read into it, but wonder how many ex-players speaking glowingly of Lyon as coach before some of Lyon's critics acknowledge it's possible that players really like playing for him.