Former St Kilda and Fremantle midfielder Brett Peake is bullish on the Saints’ prospects under Ross Lyon in 2023.
Peake played 42 games for the Saints under Lyon in 2010 and ’11 and says he has the “biggest praise” for his coaching abilities.
While Peake wasn’t pleased with how St Kilda handled Brett Ratten’s sacking, he feels that the reinvigorated playing group will play finals in Lyon’s first year and “could do something even more special” than that.
“100 per cent, I’ve got the biggest praise for Ross, not only as a person but as a footy personality and a coach,” Peake said on SEN Afternoons.
“Is it the right choice? Yes, it is, but it still doesn’t sit with me that the board made the decision in July to offer Ratten an extension and then get rid of him, so that doesn’t sit well.
“But in the realm of what coaches were available and unfinished business for Ross, then yes looking back at it, they will make the finals next year and they could do something even more special.”
While some questioned the decision to bring Lyon back given that he last coached with Fremantle in 2019, Peake believes his record between 2009 and 2013 proves how good of a coach the 55-year-old is.
“I do have high praise and I know he has his knockers from a supporter base point of view and in the football industry,” Peake said.
“But at the end of the day, he’s taken two clubs to four Grand Finals in a five-year period, so he did something right.
“It was just the playing group not finishing it.”
Lyon’s first game in charge of St Kilda since his return will come in Round 1 of the 2023 season.