Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has downplayed his “friendship dinner” with dual Brownlow Medallist and free agent Lachie Neale.
The star Brisbane Lion is out of contract at the end of the year and is drawing interest from Collingwood, Essendon and now St Kilda.
Neale is catching up with his former Fremantle coach following the Lions’ clash with Geelong on Thursday night.
Lyon spoke about the pre-existing relationship with Neale and called the catch-up “blown out of proportion”.
“To be honest, that close friend will be there as well, we’ve got a mutual friend and there has been no preliminary discussions or anything like that,” Lyon said.
“Except clearly it was in the AFL landscape, and I’d simply describe it as a normal dinner with both people window shopping.
“There’s certainly no strong agenda from either side. Lachie has got a game tonight and playing great footy and for their club.
“Our dinners tend to remain confidential, I know Lachie and I didn’t talk about it, so that talks to other people with less integrity. That’s OK, I will leave it at that.”
Lyon said the report that St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera would attend the dinner as a bargaining chip was a curveball he threw himself.
“That was just a red herring I threw out to excite you all and it did, (but) it’s not true and that’s OK, both sides of the fence don’t come with facts a lot of the time,” he laughed.
Neale, who has been pivotal in the Lions’ back-to-back premierships, played 135 games at Fremantle under Lyon.
Lyon called Neale a “special player” but denied any romance about the two reuniting as player and coach at Moorabbin.
“This is a friendship catch-up … we’re late to even thinking about (recruiting Neale), it’s just doing due diligence about the situation,” he said.
“Because I wouldn’t have thought he’s leaving Brisbane and I still don’t think that’s guaranteed.
“If Collingwood, Essendon, everyone is talking to Lachie, then I can slip in between entree and main, ‘Mate, what are you thinking about doing with your life and footy?’,
“Clearly it’s been a tumultuous time but it talks to his preparation and his dedication … I’d like to leave it at that.
“Romance is your words, what’s the likelihood? I’ll frame it again: It’s a friendship dinner that somehow has turned into this circus.”
Lyon, in good spirits, later joked Neale could be the “icing” on top of the young group of Saints tasked with driving the club to success.
“We need it to be Nas (Wanganeen-Milera), (Mattaes) Phillipou, (Hugo) Garcia, (Darcy) Wilson, (Tom) De Koning over the next five or six years, no doubt about it, (Hugh) Boxshall, (Charlie) Bamfield … throw Lachie Neale in, I don’t know,” he joked.
