Ross Lyon has distanced himself from speculation linking Corey Enright to the St Kilda top job, saying any decision on succession lies well beyond his remit.
Enright, who has been with the Saints since 2022, was recently touted as a likely heir to Lyon’s senior coaching role. But the veteran boss insisted on Thursday that there’s been no formal discussion about a future handover — and certainly no plan in place.
“It’s above my station in life, and at the club, it’s certainly not something that is present and front of mind,” Lyon said.
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“He can have it today if he likes – I’m not sure he would want to go over to Perth,” Lyon told reporters (via news.com.au), ahead of St Kilda’s clash with Fremantle.
Building from within
Lyon instead emphasised the club’s broader focus on developing coaching talent from within, naming Enright among several competent assistants, including Robert Harvey and Brendon Bolton, who could potentially step up when the time comes.
“We certainly elevated Corey to senior assistant; we work really closely together,” he said. “What we’re building here on and off the field, we’d like to get an alignment and continue it on in perpetuity.”
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The Saints boss also pointed to Enright’s leadership growth, referencing the former Cat’s enrolment in an “authentic leadership” course at Harvard last year.
With speculation surrounding the futures of key players such as Max King and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Lyon acknowledged that coaching stability plays a role in retention, but reaffirmed that succession calls were a board-level matter.
“There will be a process run; there’s no mandate anywhere. Theoretically, it’s a nice theory, we like it.”