New heights of mismanagement

It’s a bit much for Ross Lyon to threaten the players of sixteen other clubs with vilification complaints if they “cross over community standards” and taunt his captain over the running sore that has been the naked pictures. All very nice to take a holier than thou approach and conveniently forget the presence on his list of serial standard crosser Steven Baker.

Were it another club’s captain that was embroiled, would Lyon instruct his players, especially Baker, not to venture into dark sledges about nude photographs? Not bloody likely.

AussieRulesBlog chastised Barcodes coaches Mick Malthouse and Paul Licuria last year, not so much for what they said to the Saints’ Steven Milne, but for the inappropriateness of their interaction with an opposition player and their economy with the truth — less charitable people might suggest they lied — when later questioned.

Lyon suggests the Malthouse-Milne incident as one where “community standards” were trashed and uses it as a justification for threatening players at other clubs should they sledge Riewoldt.

We wonder whether Lyon has created yet another millstone for his captain to wear. Not only were the pictures publicised, but Riewoldt now looks like a crybaby relying on his coach to keep the bad boys from saying nasty and hurtful things to him. Riewoldt does have some form in this respect after all (even though we supported him in those instances).

But what sticks in our craw most is Lyon’s failing memory. It’s only a year ago that the Saints crossed a community standard themselves — a person is innocent until found guilty in a court of law. By declaring a contracted player guilty of a crime before he’d had a chance to face a jury of his peers, the Saints were happy to act as judge, jury and executioner when it suited them.

We suspect the mental strength of the Saints’ prima donna will receive some searching tests in the coming season. Will he thank his coach and his teammate when the dust has settled?