‘Nothing would make me happier' than Freo flag, says Lyon
Ross Lyon was at the helm for 133 of Fyfe's 245 games, including overseeing both Brownlow Medal campaigns in 2015 and 2019 and steering the Dockers into their historic 2013 grand final.
Speaking for the first time since Fyfe's retirement announcement this week, the St Kilda coach praised Fyfe as an elite preparer and outstanding human who led from the front with his courage, including playing through Freo's 2015 preliminary final loss to Hawthorn with a fractured fibula.
With the Saints out of finals contention, Lyon declared he wanted to see a Fremantle premiership to help Fyfe end his career on a fitting note.
'He was very, very special. He played with a fractured leg in that prelim, and without that fracture, I think we get those 15 (27) points,' Lyon said on Footy Classified.
'The only thing he's short of is a flag. Hopefully he gets the fairytale finish. Nothing would make me happier.' Lyon addressing Fyfe in 2018. Credit: Scott Barbour / AFL Media
Fyfe had only just turned 20 when Lyon arrived at Fremantle to succeed Mark Harvey in late 2011.
While the Lake Grace product had already underlined his immense potential by polling a club-best 13 Brownlow votes as a second-year player that year, Lyon said it wasn't until he took over as coach and witnessed his efforts first-hand that he gained a full appreciation for what he could do.
'I didn't know much about him when I first got there, and they were like, 'Fyfey, Fyfey, Fyfey'. I was thinking, 'Fyfe who?'' Lyon said.
'He came off a shoulder reconstruction, he hadn't played for 12 weeks. We went over to Port Adelaide, first game, no practice game, he had 20 to half time.
'I said 'Now I know who Fyfe is!'' Lyon and Fyfe after Fremantle's 2013 grand final defeat. Credit: Sean Garnsworthy / AFL Media
The long-time mentor said he had been thrilled to be a part of Fyfe's ascension to one of the very best in the game, including some heroic final-term performances.
'I used to look at him at three-quarter time… I'd just look at him and give him a nod, and he'd go 'Yep',' Lyon said.
'I'd tell the rotations guys: 'He's not coming off (for the whole quarter)'.
'He'd just be like a diesel. He wouldn't come off and he'd help drag us across the line.'
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