Fremantle has sacked Coach Ross Lyon. the departure was immediate and he did not coach Round 23. Also departing is CEO Steven Rosich after he and the board came to a mutual agreement. Docker president Dale Adcock said that the process of renewal was needed, as was new leadership. He continued by saying the club not making finals for the past four years was unacceptable. Assistant coach David Hale coached the team for the final round of the year. Chief Operating Officer Graeme Parker will act as interim CEO until a permanent CEO is brought in. Internal and external candidates will be assessed for both roles.
Lyon was contracted through 2020. It is believed his payout will be somewhere between A$600,000 and A$1 million (US$407,000 and US$677,500). Lyon told afl.com.au that he would have liked to see out his contract and pointed out that when he had his best 22 on the ground, they beat several teams in top eight, including Geelong. He also said he didn't necessarily agree with the club's decision, he respected it, "For the reasons that there was no way that the club would extend me beyond 2020, with the noise around that, it was a lot for them. They wanted some clean air ...They understood the challenges with injury, they acknowledged that."
Separate selection panels have been appointed to find a new coach and CEO. The panel for the new coach comprises president Adcock, manager Peter Bell, board members Peter Mann and Sue Murphy. An outside panel will be appointed to search for the new CEO. Internal and external candidates will be assessed for both roles.
Adcock acknowledged the contributions of both Lyon and Rosich during a press conference, “Ross has been with the club for eight years. In his first four seasons we played finals, the highlight being the 2013 AFL Grand Final. He instilled great professionalism, drive and commitment into our club. Steve has done his utmost for Fremantle over the past 11 years, and he’s leaving the club in good shape corporately and financially.”
Rosich said he was proud of his time with the club and the achievements which were accomplished and that the foundations were there for Fremantle to be a leading club in the competition.
Source: afl.com.au, Club press releases
Article last changed on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - 2:37 PM EDT
