St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is placing religion in type and is about to depart out key defender Dougal Howard for Saturday‘s elimination final clash with GWS, declaring “possession is nine-tenths of the law” as he backed Zaine Cordy to get the job done.
Howard has been a mainstay of the St Kilda defence over the past four seasons and played every game until round 19 this season before being sidelined by a fractured wrist, opening the door for Cordy, a premiership winner with the Western Bulldogs in 2016, who is loaded with finals experience.
Despite Howard being cleared to make his return, Lyon said Cordy would keep his spot after claiming some “good scalps” in recent weeks.
“He is unlikely. I had a good conversation with Dougal in my office. We talk pretty well. He understands possession is nine-tenths of the law. Cordy has done a pretty good job,” Lyon said on Thursday.
“Dougal has missed a bit, but in saying that, it was a wrist and Dougal really grew throughout the year with us. In fairness to Zaine, he has had some good scalps and played well.”
Lyon also conceded he had a “big decision” to make on veteran midfielder Seb Ross, who trained fully on Thursday but has only played one full game since round 16 because of hamstring issues, including being subbed out of the round 21 win over Geelong.
Ross, 30, is a key leader for the Saints who are back in the finals in Lyon’s first 12 months again in cost, however the veteran has been vulnerable to the damage.
“It‘s a big decision because of (the risk of) recurrence. He hasn’t played a lot in the last month,” Lyon mentioned.
“He is a leader. I’ll be guided by him and what he says to us because once you declare yourself, you’ve got to get it done.”
Lyon has coached in 20 finals and 4 grand finals throughout 328 video games in his two stints at St Kilda, in addition to Fremantle, having twice taken the Saints to the grand ultimate.
Star ahead Max King mentioned earlier this week Lyon had been getting ready his gamers all 12 months to be prepared for finals.
The Saints spent the complete home-and-away season within the high eight earlier than ending sixth on the ladder.
Saturday’s MCG conflict marks the membership’s first ultimate in Melbourne since 2011 when Lyon was in final in cost, and he mentioned his gamers had determined to embrace their shock underdog standing.
“The sentiment is the Giants go in favourites and maybe deservedly so, but we‘ve had our backs to the wall and that’s nothing new,” Lyon mentioned earlier than Thursday coaching.
“But it probably steels us just that little bit more.
“I‘ve loved some of the language from our players – we prepare like it’s a final every week, nothing is really different, just the result is bigger.
“We’re a very inexperienced finals team compared to the Giants, we understand that.”
“They know us, we know them and you just get to work on game day.”
Originally printed as AFL finals: St Kilda coach Ross Lyon picks Zaine Cordy over Dougal Howard
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
