Ross Lyon accused of 'grubby' act amid AFL coaching speculation

The manager of under-pressure Carlton coach David Teague has accused Ross Lyon of what amounted to an on-air job interview for the Blues' coaching job.

Though Teague is contracted to Carlton for 2022, yet another disappointing season has lead to speculation he could make way for a high-profile coaching hire.

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Carlton is preparing to announce the findings of an external review after the Blues once again missed the finals, with the last time they made the top eight coming in 2013.

Liam Pickering, who manages Teague, said it was a 'set-up' that Lyon, the former Fremantle and St Kilda coach, brought up Teague's situation and stated he had already turned down an approach from Collingwood for their coaching position.

Lyon and now former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson headline the list of high-profile figures who could rejoin the AFL's coaching ranks.

In a Saturday morning interview on SEN, Pickering slammed both Carlton for refusing to provide Teague with any clarity over his future, and at Lyon for putting his name forward for a job that is still occupied.

“They said we have to wait for a review, apparently they have a meeting on Sunday or Monday and then they’ll make the call. The silence is deafening," Pickering said.

“I think everyone is expecting the same thing now. I think it is pretty obvious (what is going to happen).”

Pickering speculated Lyon had already held talks with Carlton.

“We have blokes going on television on Wednesday night jockeying for his job. I don’t know what that was from Ross Lyon, it was like a job interview to me. It was pretty grubby,” he said.

“I thought it was a grubby thing, it was a set-up interview. It was pretty poor really.

“I am 100 per cent that he had dialogue with Carlton already, he was talking very smugly the other night. He didn’t want to be disrespectful to David Teague and then went on a five-minute rant about why he’d be a great man for the job.

“I get angrier over this stuff than Teague does, I don’t think you treat people the way he’s been treated this year. It’s poor.”

Ross Lyon throws hat in ring for Carlton AFL coaching job

Lyon left the coaching ranks in 2019 after eight seasons with Fremantle, which he joined after controversially walking away from St Kilda.

The 54-year-old hasn't coached since, but revealed a chat with AFL legend Leigh Matthews has seen him entertain the idea of joining the coaching ranks in 2022.

And after a hardline of questioning from Wilson on Wednesday, Lyon revealed he would hasn't ruled out looking at Carlton next season.

"If an opportunity arose, and I say that with the greatest respect to Carlton, and they rang me, I would entertain it, but I also understand that I haven’t got tickets on myself, it’s a red-hot field, Alastair Clarkson is available," he said to Wilson during Footy on Nine.

When pushed on whether he would take the role if Clarkson happened to pass, Lyon cleared up his intentions.

"Yes, certainly take the call and consider it," he said.

One of the biggest surprises in the interview was Lyon admitting he turned down an opportunity from Collingwood.

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire then asked if the Magpies had contacted Lyon.

Lyon was honest.

"I don’t think Graham Wright would mind, he reached out to a friend to get my number and I was aware and just said respectfully I wouldn’t entertain that for a variety of reasons," Lyon said.

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