“We Got a Little Bit of Reward for Effort” - Lyon

Ross Lyon said St Kilda were quick to move on from the club’s shock win against Sydney to this week’s challenge against the Crows in Adelaide.

“We’ve sort of moved on, but confidence is just a feeling and obviously when you have a win you feel better and more confident about what you’re trying to deliver. It was a really hard fought battle that could have gone either way,” Lyon said.

“Our team defence was improved and our centre forward ball movement connection piece was improved.

“We know on analytics we’ve really ticked up against quality opposition over the last month, like Brisbane and Port and the Swans in particular from memory.

“I was just really pleased for fans and supporters when it started to roar [against Sydney]. I thought we showed great individual character and culture as a team.

“People were talking about our fight and we didn’t give up, that’s how we want to be known.”

With Max King missing, the Saints were forced to change they way the went inside forward 50.

“We’ve been trying to get our connect going, our leading and our moving patterns. It’s been a work in progress. We’ve seen some benefit over the last month at times.”

In terms of players coming back in, Lyon mentioned the impact that Ryan Byrnes, Mattaes Phillipou, Cooper Sharman and Tim Membrey had after returning for the game against the Swans;

“Ryan Byrnes come back in from a patch, he played nearly every game last year. We’ve really missed him, but he’s come back as an improved player.

“I felt Mattaes [Phillipou] came back as an improved player in particular, [as did] Cooper Sharman. Tim Membrey held together really strong, I thought his pressure in particular, his leadership down there, helped a younger group without Max [King] there.”

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had to deal with a defensive forward against the Swans, however Lyon feels he doesn’t have to worry if the Crows do that same.

“He was still elite and he helped us. There’s some really good signs for us. We understand it’s a very even competition, we just got to keep working.”

Matthaes Phillipou was drafted as a midfielder when the Saints selected him at pick 10 in 2022, however Lyon noted that, “He hadn’t played that much midfield.

“[Last year] he was a high transition forward, it was exceptional what he did.

“We weren’t in great form, we put him in there without building his craft and did him a disservice.

“We sat down, he goes I want to build my midfield craft. Let’s go back.

“He settled [and] we saw the best of him. If [he] can play that every week, we’d have an All-Australian.

“We know he’s going to have ups and downs, he’s four days off being a first-year player. They’re good signs for us and he compliments that younger group that are here.”

On the Crows, Lyon believes the game is to be won in the middle;

“It’s the midfield battle, whoever can get control in there and then whoever can defend the ground really well. It’s a unique ground, it’s long, it’s skinny, they’re going to be the challenges.

“They’ve got some really good players. Laird, their captain [Tex Walker] [is] a star. Walker, you give him time and space, he can bag six.

“It’s a big challenge going to Adelaide. It’s a hostile environment over there, it’s another really good challenge for us.

“We’d like to bottle it [the result against Sydney] and pour it out again, but it doesn’t work like that. You’ve got to bring it to life again.

“It starts on the track, it starts in concentration, starts with mental prep, anticipating the challenge. So when you get there you’re not surprised by anything you’re confronted with, we just want to be a high-trust team.

“It’s created mentally and physically on the track.

“We’ve been very level all year because the win-loss hasn’t been in our favour and it’s been a lot of close losses. What we’ve taken out of that is aiming to grow.”

The Saints will take on the Crows at the Adelaide Oval tonight, with the first bounce commencing at seven o’clock.