Kane Cornes was shocked to hear of Ross Lyon’s pitch to recruit players with a main selling point the lack of time St Kilda footballers have to spend at the club.
Speaking to the media, Lyon said that the club’s environment is important and that they like to give their players a lot of time off during the week. St Kilda players spend 16 hours a week at the club plus game days and Cornes doesn’t think that’s enough.
Cornes referenced an article in the Herald Sun that took a closer look at Lyon’s comments and the Port Adelaide great pondered whether that amount of time at the club is acceptable for a club that’s struggling in 15th place with just four wins from 12 games in 2024.
“The Herald Sun I read this morning and Russell Gould has written a really good article and the headline of it is, ‘Ross’ pitch to recruit players’,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“The bit that struck me from Ross Lyon was him saying, ‘Our environment is pretty important. We like to think we give them a lot of time off. They get 3.5 days a week off, so it’s 16 hours in and a game day. I think that’s as healthy as anyone in the competition’.
“Now he’s pitching that as a positive. What I’m interested in is the average footy fan out there who sees footballers earning on average $400,000 – which is about to skyrocket … they’re pitched as full-time athletes, and they get about 20 weeks off per year.
“I’m listening to one of the most demanding coaches and best coaches that we’ve seen tell St Kilda supporters of a side that’s won four games for the year that they’re spending 16 hours a week at the football club.
“Is that acceptable? Is that Is that enough to work on your game to improve for a team that’s disappointing?
“He’s saying it’s a positive. I’m suggesting that surely you could find another 20 hours a week and make it 36.”
While Cornes conceded that players would do their own extra work away from the club, he simply believes 16 contact hours barring game day is nowhere near enough time for players to really improve themselves on a weekly basis.
“I would hope that the case (that players are doing their own extras). There would be players that get extra physio, massage, recovery, doctors appointments … or I hope,” Cornes said.
“But he’s saying 3.5 days off and Ross says. ‘When they’re in here (the club), keep it sharp, keep it balanced. Our players would say win or loss, my demeanour hasn’t changed’.
“But I just wonder whether that’s a shock to the average footy fan out there.
“I know the NFL in America is a much bigger more wealthy sport than this. But I see quarterbacks that come in at seven in the morning and they don’t leave until seven at night, and they’re famous for it.
“We’ve got a side who’s won four games for the year … the Saints are in 15th and Ross is getting up there telling us they’re in for 16 hours a week.
“I think that is far too few hours to improve your game for full-time professional athletes that are earning $400,000 on average.”
Lyon’s Saints next face Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.