Former Dockers speedster Bradley Hill was reunited with his former coach as Ross Lyon returned to St Kilda to oversee pre-season training for the first time since leaving in 2011.
Hill played under Lyon for two seasons at Fremantle before the two left the club towards the end of the 2019 season, the latter being left out of his role as head coach.
Lyon, who replaced Brett Ratten at the Saints helm after coaching St Kilda from 2007 to 2011, were back at Moorabin on Monday as year ones to four returned to training.
Veterans Brad Hill and Dan Butler were also on the trail as others filtered through the club with Lyon ready to address their troops as a whole.
Lyon do not plan to pay any particular attention to inconsistent key striker Max King, saying everyone at the AFL club needs to improve.
King proved a game-winner in his three seasons at the Saints, but also struggled to make an impact in some games due to his wayward boot.
But Lyon didn’t believe that was a problem.
“There’s a lot of noise around Max and he’s obviously a talented young player… but we all have to improve,” Lyon told reporters.
“There’s a gap to the rest of the competition, the top four, the top eight and clearly the premiership team, so there’s nobody in St Kilda Football Club who really hasn’t need to improve, including myself and Max is in this boat as well.”
After a brilliant start to 2022, St Kilda faded to miss the final, finishing 10th.
King worked last season with assistant coach Jarryd Roughead and Saints head of football David Rath.
Essendon goalkeeper great Matthew Lloyd has already offered to tutor the youngster.
Lyon said King’s kicking “hasn’t been a priority” in the offseason.
“I wouldn’t have thought it was a problem at all, it certainly wasn’t in front of my mind.
“We have put in place a global program for the whole group who we believe will get to the line fit and available and we have put in place a group of coaches who we believe are real drivers. cultural and I think it’s as good as anything circulating in the AFL.
“We’re not exploring anyone’s individual strengths or weaknesses – it’s about coming back and rolling up your sleeves and getting to work.”
The new coaching staff includes retired Geelong star Corey Enright as well as former Saints stars Robert Harvey, Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard.
The four made their way into training on Monday while youngster Marcus Windhager won his time trial at a nearby athletics track.
Lyon said he hasn’t spoken to Ratten since he was dropped from the club just three months after signing a contract extension.
But he planned to talk about it with the players.
“I’m going to speak to the players for the first time today, and I think it’s important to recognize the context and not just pretend there hasn’t been a tumultuous period here because ‘ there are,” Lyon, who oversaw Fremantle for eight years before he left in 2019, said.
“My job is to lift us up and move us forward as a club.
“The human toll, it can be really tough, there’s definitely empathy there but we don’t have the luxury to sit and stay, we have to move and take action.”
