"Garbage": Lyon shuts down questions over player unrest

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon shut down his morning media conference early amid a “laundry list of half-baked stories” about player unrest and trades.

Just hours after having to address reports Callum Wilkie was unhappy at the club as well as a reported $25 million offer to Harley Reid, Lyon's fuse was short on Wednesday morning ahead of his club's Round 23 clash with Essendon.

“No (it’s not upsetting), because you know it’s not true, so nothing to get upset about,” Lyon said in response to the repeat reports of unrest.

“Locker rooms don’t talk … every club is in the market, I have heard the same noise.

“I talk to my players every day but they’re private conversations. There’s disenchantment with me, (players) said, ‘Ross you can be lighter, move a bit quicker, have some more exciting training drills for us’.

“Nothing frustrates me, to be honest, I’m not here for the laundry list of half-baked stories.

“There’s not much credibility to it, to be honest.

“I don’t get on my phone and go onto X and listen to garbage being reported with no rigour.

“What’s your journalistic rigour when you run with a story, I am not sure that was done.” 12:22

“Can I just put an overarching statement: I am not here to go list management pre-game, going into a Friday game.

“It’s not why we call this presser, that’s where you’re heading again. I’m not prepared to dive into individuals who are contracted or out. Enough is enough, to be honest.”

WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED?

The biggest yarn came from SEN’s Tim Watson who suggested that the Saints had made a ‘Godfather offer’ to Reid of $25 million over 12 years.

Lyon denied the report.

“I’ve never spoken to Harley Reid in my life... I love Tim, but he got this one wrong,” Lyon said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.

“The (Eagles) CEO Don Pyke, who we all love and respect, is frustrated at their end for whatever reason for Harley and negotiations.

“Clearly they think there’s something in the ether that’s getting in their way. Well, it certainly isn’t me.”

Another significant story came from SEN SA’s Michelangelo Rucci who mentioned the likes of Callum Wilkie, Jack Steele, Marcus Windhager and Rowan Marshall as being potential trade options.

But Lyon fired back at Rucci in typically humorous fashion, labelling him a “Port Adelaide nuffie”.

“There’s a lot of half-baked stories, that’s what I see,” Lyon said.

“I heard the Rucci stuff, I listened to it, and I thought it was two old blokes having a beer and a barbecue in the backyard.

“There’s unrest and Wilkie and Marshall will be somewhere else and they’ve got to trade Steele out to free their cap. There was no substance, no rigour.

“Rooch, you send me postcards from Italy where you’re herding the sheep. To be honest, you’re a Port Adelaide nuffie. Let’s move on.

“Without being denigrating, but does he write content for the Port Adelaide SANFL club? Is he a mad Port Adelaide (fan)? Are they trying to get us in a bit of turmoil?

“Is that what’s happened to Collingwood? Everyone is trying to unsettle Collingwood. Next minute (Darcy) Cameron has signed. It’s all part of the theatre, it’s all part of feeding the chooks. No problem.”

SEN’s Sam Edmund had added to Rucci’s story regarding All-Australian defender Wilkie and potentially being “disillusioned” with the club.

But Lyon insists his vice-captain is happy as a Saint.

“Callum Wilkie rang me, he goes, 'I've never entertained leaving St Kilda, I love St Kilda, I love what we’re doing’,” Lyon said vehemently.

“‘And my concern like the rest of us about Nasiah, can we get him done? Absolutely’. I said, ‘So am I mate’.

“That speaks volumes.”

He also commented on contacted players: “I hear the noise about contracted players. Unless the free agency rules have changed, I would think contracted players are at your club unless you decide otherwise.”

Regarding Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who remains unsigned, Lyon was reasonably happy with where the club sits in their attempts to keep him in red, white and black.

“I’m concerned like everybody else but we’re doing everything we can,” he said further.

“I’ve got not further updates but hopefully behind the wall that we’ve put up there’s good negotiations going on.”