Former Dockers coach Ross Lyon says he’s “disappointed” that a sexual harassment case from 2018 is being used against him after he threw his hat in the ring to coach again and said he would potentially be interested in the Carlton job should it become available.
Lyon was sacked by Fremantle in 2019 after failing to take the club to the finals for a fourth consecutive season. But before that decision was made by the Dockers it was revealed that a former staff member of the club had been paid a confidential settlement after making a complaint with Workcover in 2017.
The complaint was made as a result of an incident at a club Christmas function where Lyon allegedly made inappropriate comments about the woman’s attire. The AFL investigated the matter and was satisfied that no action was required.
Over the last week that has been brought back into the public forum in what senior AFL reporter Caroline Wilson described as a “smear campaign” designed to discredit Lyon’s job prospects.
Speaking on Nine’s Footy Classified, Lyon addressed the matter, saying “it needs to stop here”.
“I’m disappointed at the timing of it,” Lyon said.
“I understand how things work. The reality is, I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed for a whole bunch of reasons that I don’t want to go into.
“But what I can say is, and I said at the time when I addressed things in Fremantle, the duress and the hurt that a lot of parties were feeling, I felt terrible.
“I need to say this; there was a respectful and confidential resolution reached and designed to protect all parties.
“The reason it’s respectful as well is because it is confidential. My intention is to respect that and not comment any further.”
Just last week, Lyon revealed he turned down an approach from Collingwood regarding its senior coaching position due to the current “instability” surrounding the club.
Lyon admitted he isn’t surprised now to see his past brought up again, with his name in the coaching mix at a number of clubs.
“It’s something that I’ve carried with me and that I’m aware of, and that I’m sensitive to,” he added.
“I don’t want to injure any party either. I’m aware as I step foot back in, that it would be raised and that I would need to talk about it like I have now.
“It’s been two and a half years and I’m not in a position [to talk about it].
“By their very nature, they’re confidential and respectful. I’d like to say, it needs to stop here.
“I feel I’ve got a lot of personal capital in the industry. I’ve coached for 13 years as a senior coach. I’ve worked hard for a long time to earn a reputation.
“I will protect that reputation as I need to. But I feel I have a lot of personal capital, and I would like the opportunity to build on that personal capital and conduct myself in that manner that needs to be done as a senior coach of an AFL club.”
Lyon’s comments came just hours before it was reported that Carlton had sacked David Teague.