Carlton president Luke Sayers has confirmed the club has held talks with former St Kilda and Fremantle coach Ross Lyon following yesterday’s sacking of David Teague.
Lyon hasn’t coached in the AFL since being sacked by Fremantle in 2019 after failing to take the club to the finals for a fourth consecutive season.
Just last week, Lyon revealed he turned down an approach from Collingwood regarding their senior coaching position due to the current “instability” surrounding the club.
Now with Teague’s two-and-a-half year reign officially over, the Carlton club president confirmed he spoke to an “excited” Lyon last night.
“What I can tell you is I did have a conversation with Ross (last night),” Sayers told SEN.
“A general conversation for about 45 minutes.
“Ross is excited to put his hat in the ring once we figure out whatever is the process to move forward at the Carlton footy club.
“Now we pivot and we’re looking for the best coach that we can possibly get to get a fantastic group winning games, into the finals next year and away we go.
“We’re going to try and accelerate through the process.
“We’ll probably get the board together today, it might slip into Saturday, but just don’t have the process agreed at board level – timing, who’s going to do it, all that sort of stuff.”
According to veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson, Carlton previously approached four-time premiership-winning coach Alastair Clarkson last week following his exit from Hawthorn.
But the award-winning journalist said Clarkson had been frightened from pursuing the Carlton job by the Blues’ treatment of Teague.
“What has gone on at that football club … over the last week, I think, completely spooked the Clarkson camp and the Clarkson family,” Wilson said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“Alastair’s been on record as saying he’s disgusted by the way the club [has treated Teague]. He’s said that David Teague should have had more support.”