Fresh St Kilda recruit Liam Henry has admitted that Ross Lyon was a key factor in his decision move to Moorabbin and fulfil a childhood dream to play in Melbourne.
Henry was traded from Fremantle to the Saints on Monday for a future-second and fourth-round draft pick, after an impressive back half of the 2023 season.
The crafty wingman was one of the first players to request a trade this year, explaining that linking back up with his old coach in Lyon proved influential in his decision to nominate the Saints.
“(Lyon) was there when I was a part of the NGA (Next Generation Academy) and at ‘Freo’,” Henry told AFL Trade Radio’s Trade Exchange.
“I think reconnecting with him and seeing and hearing his story of why he wanted to come back to coaching, obviously the change and (St Kilda) playing finals this year – he was a big part of why they got to where they got to this year. “Bradley Hill as well, he’s a really good source that I (leant) on to get an inside of what the club was like and… how they operate within the four walls is really what got me over the line.
“I couldn’t be more happier and reconnecting with those two has really helped me decided what I needed to do and where my future was heading .”
The 22-year-old is a West Australian local, however flagged the large focus on footy in Victoria as a reason to move away from his home state.
“I’ve always wanted to play in Melbourne, obviously it’s the home of footy and everything happens around Melbourne. The atmosphere and everything is pretty crazy,” he said.
“But also outside of the footy world, there’s a lot of opportunities that come with it; I’m really into my fashion, so there’s definitely a lot of opportunity that comes with the fashion side of things and growing my business that I have to make something out of it after footy as well.
“I’ve always wanted to play over in Melbourne as a young kid, and dreaming that I was out there on the MCG one day, and hopefully that comes true.”
Now that Henry’s deal is done, he will now look to his first pre-season as a Saint which commences in November.