Veteran Western Australian journalist Kim Hagdorn has hit back hard at Ross Lyon’s criticism of West Coast for the club’s handling of Junior Rioli’s exit.
The Eagles officially acknowledged Rioli’s long-speculated trade request earlier this week, with the club voicing its displeasure at the move.
“We could not have done any more to support Junior since his infraction in 2019,” CEO Trevor Nisbett said.
“We facilitated his appeal and subsequent return to football, so this decision is ‘bitterly disappointing.’
“We will put that disappointment to one side now and work to arrange a suitable trade for a player who has high-end talent, is a premiership player and is in the prime of his career, having played just 51 games of senior football.
“Junior has made his decision and while he has indicated Port is his preferred destination we will work to get the best outcome for our club.”
Many Eagles fans are disappointed in the 27-year-old's decision given he was supported by West Coast through his two-year ASADA ban.
Former Fremantle coach Ross Lyon clipped the Eagles for their response to the small forward’s trade request when speaking on Triple M.
“I thought they were out of line, West Coast,” Ross told Triple M on Wednesday.
“When you’ve got a player on your list, it’s your responsibility to support him with everything you got.
“It’s not a bonus that you supported Rioli … it’s your job, it’s your responsibility to support the player. I think it’s a bit rich clipping him on the way out.”
But Hagdorn has accused Lyon – who was sacked by the Dockers in 2019 – of comments in poor taste.
Hagdorn believes Lyon ran a “dictatorship” in his eight years at Fremantle and went the other way to West Coast in not providing enough support to numerous players.
“Ross Lyon brought in Jesse Hogan, Shane Kersten, Cam McCarthy, Harley Bennell. Where was the network around them? They’re his products, and some of them are still suffering emotionally from their time under Ross Lyon’s administration,” Hagdorn told SEN WA’s Drive.
All four of those recruits would fail to display their best footy at Fremantle. Kersten was reported to have endured a broken relationship with Lyon, while Hogan would manage just two seasons at the club after costing Fremantle plenty in an original trade with Melbourne.
Meanwhile, McCarthy played 49 games for the club before retiring, while Bennell played just two for the club after both were high profile recruits.
“It’s about welfare, it’s about the network that Ross Lyon is accusing West Coast of not doing enough. Ross Lyon is there having plenty to say about (what) West Coast did or didn’t do for Willie Rioli, what did Fremantle do to get more out of Hogan, McCarthy, Kersten, Bennell? (I) can keep naming them,” Hagdorn continued.
“He makes the calls, particularly at Fremantle because he was such a dictator, a lot of other coaches with good football managers, good welfare managers, good list managers, they have a better co-operation, Fremantle didn’t have that, it was a dictatorship.”
Lyon was linked to Essendon’s vacant coaching position this season after links to Carlton last year, but former Fremantle star Paul Hasleby predicts Lyon’s coaching days are over.