St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has labelled Adelaide reporter Michelangelo Rucci as a 'nuffy' after it was suggested a player exodus was happening at the Saints.
A report from Rucci earlier in the week said St Kilda players Callum Wilkie, Jack Steele, Marcus Windhager and Rowan Marshall were seeking to leave the club due to fallout from large contracts offered to Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning and GWS defender Leek Aleer.
However, Lyon vehemently denied those claims from Rucci, slamming the Port Adelaide-employed scribe's report as having 'no substance'.
"There’s a lot of half-baked stories, that’s what I see," Lyon said on Footy Classified.
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"I heard the Rucci stuff, I listened to it, and I thought it was two old blokes having a beer and a barbecue in the backyard.
"There’s unrest and Wilkie and Marshall will be somewhere else and they’ve got to trade Steele out to free their cap. There was no substance, no rigour.
"Rooch, you send me postcards from Italy where you’re herding the sheep. To be honest, you’re a Port Adelaide nuffy. Let’s move on.
"Without being denigrating, but does he write content for the Port Adelaide SANFL club? Is he a mad Port Adelaide (fan)? Are they trying to get us in a bit of turmoil?
"Is that what’s happened to Collingwood? Everyone is trying to unsettle Collingwood. Next minute (Darcy) Cameron has signed. It’s all part of the theatre, it’s all part of feeding the chooks. No problem."
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Lyon also chose to directly address a report from Essendon icon Tim Watson which denying St Kilda have offered Harley Reid a $25 million contract over 12 years.
"I’ve never spoken to Harley Reid in my life," Lyon said.
"I do love Tim (Watson), but he got this one wrong.
"Clearly they (West Coast) think there’s something out in the ether that’s getting in their way (of re-signing Reid). Well it certainly isn’t me."