Melbourne legend Garry Lyon has hit out at the Demons playing group in the wake of their stunning fourth-quarter meltdown against St Kilda, labelling some of their efforts as “under-12s stuff”.
The Demons were cruising towards a comfortable win at the MCG on Sunday, leading by 46 points at the final change, before conceding nine goals in a chaotic last term that saw the Saints snatch victory and leave Simon Goodwin’s side reeling.
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While speculation around Goodwin’s future has ramped up, particularly given the club’s underwhelming form over the past two seasons, Lyon insisted on SEN Breakfast that the players weren’t blameless in the collapse.
'C'mon man, the players'
“He takes a lot of blame,” Lyon said of Goodwin. “That responsibility is there, and then you hand over to your team, and what took place was under-12s stuff.
“Are you blaming the coach for Jack Viney standing on a wing and allowing [Anthony] Caminiti, a marking target, to be 30 metres goal-side of him?
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“Are you blaming the coach for Jakey Bowey turning his back on the play? Are you blaming the coach for Kysaiah Pickett not running forward side by side, shoulder to shoulder? The coach is going to cop it and should, but the players have to cop it. C’mon, man, the players.”
Fellow commentator Tim Watson suggested Goodwin’s leadership style may have contributed to the team’s mindset, adding: “Maybe in the coaching of this group it’s because of what the coach walks past from time to time that allows the players then to think in the way they did at this critical stage of the game.”