Pressure on AFL coaches comes with the job, particularly as internal and external expectations grows.
Some coaches are under more pressure than others depending on the circumstances, but outside factors also come into calculations.
David King believes 2021 is one of those years and believes former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon looms over the competition as a known commodity who could bring forward a club’s decision to sack a coach in order to get the big name.
Lyon coached the Saints between 2007 and 2011 before taking over the reigns at Fremantle until the end of 2019.
He has worked in the footy media since losing the Dockers job and King believes Lyon will be back in the mix next year.
“The pressure (on coaches) goes up another 10 per cent when there’s someone in the waiting, ready to come back into coaching,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“I’ve got no doubt that Ross will be coaching in 2022. No doubt.
"He’s had a couple of seasons off now, refreshed, re-energised, see the game from a different lens, his understanding of how to work with people doesn’t change, his knowledge of the game is clearly top of the pack and he’ll be heavily sought after, it’s just a matter of at what point.
“We’ve seen what this does. When there’s someone sitting on the sidelines, the rush to get first crack at that person, it becomes really strong. Was it the Michael Voss signature of half a dozen years ago?
“That sort of occurrence, I think is right up 2021’s alley.
“There may be two or three clubs that may not be underperforming massively, but the expectation is so high … Carlton has to make finals, Melbourne has to make finals, where does Nathan Buckley have to finish?
“There’s those discussions that will come. Everyone wants to take about Leon Cameron, I think the Victorian-based teams will suit the family side of things, he’s moved the whole family back to Melbourne.
“I’m not talking for Ross, but Ross in the wings puts another element of pressure on these coaches that are already in the cauldron.”
Gerard Whateley agrees and can see how the storyline will play out this year.
“I think the spectre of Ross Lyon looms over the season, definitely,” Whateley said.
“We had this conversation two years ago when he fell out. If you’re a club, at some point you’ve got to ask yourself – are we better off with our guy or are we better off with Ross Lyon?”
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