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Important SN update for SouthlandWas Lyon’s Pies review a sign that opponents have them figured out?
SEN • June 25th, 2025 8:02 pm
Does St Kilda coach Ross Lyon think he has ladder-leaders and premiership favourites Collingwood figured out from a tactical point of view?
His post-match press conference after the Saints went down to the Magpies by 34 points on Saturday may have alluded to that.
While the Saints went down, they hung in with the Magpies until midway through the last term and won some several key stats like clearances (+7), disposals (+3) and contested possessions (+21).
“We took a fair bit of their system away from them,” Lyon said post-match.
“We know they're a good pressing team and a pressure team. But how much of it was their good pressure and how much was our decision and system? That's where most of their turnover score comes from.
“Our stoppage work was good… they're number one in the midfield or intercepting, bouncing and scoring and they weren't able to do that.
“It's interesting playing against them. They're very professional and very, very experienced.
“They're conservative in a lot of ways … they’re really interesting and very professional in how they manage the game and protect themselves.
“It’ll be interesting (to see how they go).”
Given Lyon spoke about how the Saints were able to take away from Collingwood’s systems and not allow them to play to their strengths, former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley thinks that Lyon thinks he’s found a way to beat them… it’s just that he doesn’t have the list currently to do so.
“I think he was saying he reckons he’s got Collingwood sorted but didn’t have the team in his mind to go and challenge them often enough,” Buckley said on SEN.
“There was a six-goal swing in scores from attacking mid. Collingwood kicked 9.5 to St Kilda’s 3.2, that was the difference in the game.
“He felt like they had a plan, but they weren’t able to execute it often enough to expose Collingwood.
“But that’s the rub, you can have the best plan in the world and not the players. Or you can have the best players in the world but not have a plan. Everyone knows how they play, but can you unpack it?
“The way he answered that was that they’re not as clear a favourite as many are putting them out to be and they’re gettable.”
While Buckley thinks that Lyon may have a good plan to take away Collingwood’s strengths, it’s not worth much unless it’s executed perfectly by any opposition soldiers given how well-drilled and consistent this Magpie outfit is.
“You can have the best plan, the perfect plan, but you have to execute it,” Buckley said.
“The experience that Collingwood has - they are the team that has played the moments better than anyone.
“Whether you’re Geelong or North (playing the Magpies), you get the same Collingwood, they’re remarkably consistent and that’s abnormal when compared to the rest of the competition.”
The Magpies next face the Eagles at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
