I work in an industry where we all know that there is no bastard like the bastard that just left. Nonetheless I'd like to stick the boots in. I could go on forever about this, but I'll just float it out there. The 'ruthless' headhunting of Ross by Rosich, Harris and Bond, rubber-stamped by the board- delivered nothing, cost a bomb, rotted our culture and membership to its base, and has brought us to our knees.
Fremantle would not be in as weak a position financially now if the Lyon appointment never happened. Even more so, if goddamn Rosich hadn't extended his contract in March 2016 for FIVE seasons.
A drover's dog would have taken our squad to finals in 2012-15. I still maintain that Lyon's arrogance cost us the semi-final in 2012 against Adelaide, which we dropped by ten points when the crows came from behind. Go and watch that game again if you want confirmation that our so-called 'greatest coach' is a poor performer on the big stage. And if you can bear, try the 2013 GF. One goal to half time. With a coach that had been to the big dance before. And lost. In fact, with the great St Kilda 2009-10 list, and Fremantle 2012-2015 squad under his control, his finals record was 8 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw. Zero premierships.
Anyone want to hazard a guess what we paid for this privilege? Lyon had a four-year deal for the start of the 2012 season; in March 2014 signed a two-year contract extension through to the end of season 2017, and at the club’s 2016 season launch was inexplicably signed by the club for the next five years. So, nine years across 2012-2020, say nominally between $1-1.5M is the number, lets round out to $1.2, because he probably hit soft KPI's until 2016, but had negotiated with a starry-eyed fawning Rosich after 2015, before we fell off the cliff. Plus say nominally $1.1M total at each end, paying out Harvey's second year of contract for 2012, and signing Longmuir for 2020. That's $11.9M. I'll ignore the cost of defending Ross internally, and associated payment in relation to the abhorrent nature of Lyon's behaviour at a Christmas party prior to 2017.
And let's say the cost of a coach that wasn't Ross, or for example, Harvey re-signed, averaged $0.6M from 2013-2019- which arguably could have been more if we actually won premierships in 2012-15. But nobody would begrudge that. This argument becomes moot then. Pay premiership coaches plenty. But say $5.4M cost. Differential is $6.5M. Anyone want to say that might be handy now?
And the opportunity lost/cost, no premierships, falling membership base, falling home attendances, just generally unwatchable football constructed over the last half of the decade, lost development windows- *sigh*- anyone want to put a cost to that?
Smarmy Ross Lyon. Luckiest man in football. Blew seven figures in gold company investments, had his backside saved by Rosich, pulled the biggest pay cheque in footy over the decade, got integrity issues swept under the carpet with an NDA and payout from the club, then still pulled the biggest AFL salary in 2020 when the world blew up and people realised the actual value of money in football. And now gets to sit on fences and talk to people about it and his cat.
