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Lyon: Demons players have to cop blame for disastrous defeat
Luke Mathews • July 29th, 2025 2:53 pm
Melbourne legend Garry Lyon has put the blame on the Demons players after the club’s disastrous fourth-quarter collapse against St Kilda on the weekend.
The Dees looked certain to record their seventh win for the year when they led by 46 points at three-quarter time on Sunday before Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera ran riot to hand them an embarrassing defeat.
Many have been quick put the blame on Demons coach Simon Goodwin after a series of calamitous errors lead to the Saints kicking nine goals in the final quarter.
The loss means Goodwin’s future is hanging in the balance. The premiership coach has one year left on his contract, however, the side has significantly underperformed in recent years.
Whilst Lyon felt that Goodwin has to take a lot of responsibility for what took place on Sunday afternoon, he believed the players have to shoulder some of the blame.
“He takes a lot of blame,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast on Tuesday morning.
“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?
“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.”
Tim Watson added: “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.”
The Demons will be looking to make amends when they take on bottom-of-the-ladder West Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
