Anyone at St Kilda who expected that the arrival of summer would give them a chance to take a breath and reflect with satisfaction on their hard work off the field in 2025 was mistaken.
Club president Andrew Bassat decided the time was right to conduct a mini-review of the football department.
The boss was not in the same frame of mind as he had been three years earlier when 100 people were interviewed on the way to senior coach Brett Ratten being sacked, a decision that initiated the second coming of Ross Lyon at the Saints.
This time around, Bassat simply wanted to know what the club could do better, following three seasons that had been focused on building the foundations for sustainable success based on the recommendations flowing from that 2022 review.
“We’ve made substantial progress, but we can still improve. We did not play finals last year,” Bassat said.”We’re recognising there are a bunch of areas we can improve.”
He questioned 20 people, including Lyon and chief executive Carl Dilena, to determine what was needed, the trio unafraid to look under the bonnet and in the mirror.
In the process, the Saints settled on club great Lenny Hayes, despite his inexperience in the role, as the new football manager to support Lyon.Chris Ford, a former state secretary for the ALP and a highly rated operator who has been at the club for a year, will support Hayes.
Bassat’s approach is an indicator that the Saints hierarchy is aware that everyone at moorabbin needs to stay dialled in to what lies ahead.
This will be the year when the success of Bassat and Lyon’s sometimes unconventional, and often disruptive, strategy to become contenders will be reviewed externally using the bluntest of measures: wins and losses.
“`html
St Kilda‘s list rebuild, overseen by Ross Lyon, has been a deliberate exercise in patience, resisting the urge for quick fixes in favour of long-term sustainability. This approach, championed by former president Andrew Bassat, has seen the Saints prioritize the draft and player development, even when faced with the temptation of readily available players.
The strategy began with the development of young talent under Chris Toce and then Simon Dalrymple, providing a foundation for the current rebuild.However, the Saints have experienced important player turnover, with six of their top 10 best and fairest players from 2022 departing. This is a level of loss matched only by West Coast, while Collingwood has retained all of their 2022 top 10.
Lyon inherited a fifth-oldest list in 2022,finishing 10th. While they slipped to 12th in 2023, the club feels confident in their current profile, which ranks 14th in average age.looking ahead to 2026, St Kilda is positioned 10th in the competition for average age, boasting a core of a dozen established players with between 50 and 100 games of experience.
Sources close to the club, speaking anonymously, confirm Bassat’s assessment that Lyon’s influence on list management – officially overseen by him according to a club media release regarding the appointment of Hayes – was to ensure the saints prioritized long-term viability over immediate gains. Bassat himself clarified Lyon’s role, stating, “Ross doesn’t really oversee list management… Ross has a voice, and he is a strong voice, but it is a really good [forum for] debate.”
Until 2025, Lyon consistently advocated for “sticking to the plan,” emphasizing the draft and resisting the urge to chase available players. Now, with a carefully constructed list, lyon has the prospect to leverage his coaching expertise to mould these individuals into a cohesive and successful team. His primary focus remains on coaching, the area where he excels.
Lyon previously guided the Saints to Grand Final appearances in 2009 and 2010, only to be defeated by Geelong and Collingwood respectively – teams bolstered by players with strong club connections.He now faces an even greater challenge, compounded by the introduction of two expansion teams, which increases the overall competitiveness of the league.
Key questions remain for St kilda heading into 2026: Can they improve their slow starts, having trailed at quarter-time in 10 of their last 11 games? Can their midfield effectively counter opposition momentum? Can they tighten their defense, currently ranked 13th for points conceded in 2025? And crucially, can they maintain a high level of energy and commitment throughout the demanding process of improvement?
