Latest news with #CallumWilkie
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: St Kilda coach Ross Lyon on the future of stars and player unrest
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says he talks to his players 'every day' and deflected questions surrounding several out-of-contract stars before cutting his weekly press conference short, unwilling to address a 'laundry list of half-baked stories' about unrest at his club. Hours after a TV appearance in which Lyon played down reports about best and fairest Callum Wilkie's disenchantment and a $25m offer to Harley Reid, Lyon refused to be expansive on Wednesday in his weekly, AFL mandated, club media conference. As the club circles Carlton ruckman Tom de Koning and GWS defender Leek Aleer with big-money deals, while trying to retain new AFL record holder Nasiah Wanganeen Milera, reports have emerged of turbulence among St Kilda players including Wilkie, Marcus Windhager and Rowan Marshall. Lyon, however, dodged questions and queried the 'journalistic rigour' that went into the bulk of stories being circulated about his club. 'No (it's not upsetting), because you know it's not true, so nothing to get upset about,' Lyon said in response to the repeat reports. 'Locker rooms don't talk … every club is in the market, I have heard the same noise. 'I talk to my players every day but they're private conversations. There's disenchantment with me, (players) said, 'Ross you can be lighter, move a bit quicker, have some more exciting training drills for us'. 'Nothing frustrates me, to be honest, I'm not here for the laundry list of half-baked stories. 'There's not much credibility to it, to be honest.' Lyon said he wasn't 'aware' of any player unrest with him as coach and wouldn't bite on what he called 'garbage' reporting of the club's offer to Reid. 'I don't get on my phone and go onto X and listen to garbage being reported with no rigour,' Lyon said. 'What's your journalistic rigour when you run with a story, I am not sure that was done.' Windhager, along with close friend Wanganeen-Milera, who has set a new AFL record for most kicks in a season, is playing some career-best football as speculation surrounds his future. Lyon was asked how he viewed Windhager's form and whether there was a specific area the 22-year-old had improved. The experienced coach was brief in his praise of Windhager before calling his press conference short. '(Windhager has) played pretty well, we keep picking him and he's an important young player,' he said. 'All our players have (improved), look, can I just put an overarching statement: I am not here to go list management pre-game, going into a Friday game. 'It's not why we call this presser, that's where you're heading again. I'm not prepared to dive into individuals who are contracted or out. Enough is enough, to be honest.'
The Advertiser
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'So beauty': Saints defender boasts hot streak to 150
This is the lot of a key defender: Callum Wilkie will celebrate his 150-game milestone on the tough road trip to Geelong, trying to stop the AFL's most in-form key forward. And standing at Moorabbin on Wednesday morning, nursing two black eyes after a whack on the nose early in last Sunday's game, the St Kilda backman wouldn't have it any other way. "I usually line up on Jezza (Jeremy Cameron), so I imagine that's what they have in store upstairs. That's a nice way to play your 150th, on the best forward in the comp who's leading the Coleman (Medal)," Wilkie said with a grin. "So beauty." Wilkie, 29, will become only the second AFL player, after Sydney's Jared Crouch, to play 150 consecutive games from debut. The Saints defender has become the poster child for finding a different path to AFL stardom. He was overlooked in four national drafts, eventually combining university and full-time work as an accountant while playing for SANFL side North Adelaide. After the Roosters won the 2018 premiership - coached by Josh Carr and featuring a teenaged Connor Rozee off half-back - Wilkie finally went to the Saints in the rookie draft. He is the club's reigning best-and-fairest winner and earned 2023 All-Australian selection. "It gives you a really good perspective of how good AFL football is. Ultimately we have a great job," Wilkie said of his rocky path to the AFL. "That perspective has held me in good stead, knowing I love playing football and I can do this for a living and ultimately, hopefully try to drag this club to finals and success. "Not getting drafted probably built some resilience." He said the 2018 SANFL flag, North's first in 27 years, remains a key moment in his playing career and is motivation as the Saints try to return to finals. "Definitely, it was a great time. Anyone can attest to this, whether you play amateurs or AFL, winning a flag is probably the best feeling ever," Wilkie said. "I always say this to anyone - if I retired now, that's my favourite football memory. They're my best mates, still to this day, I won a premiership with (them). "You bring that here, you just want to be able to contribute to the footy club, and we want to get there one day. We have a lot of stepping stones first." A few of the newer "stones" are emerging. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is an excitement machine, and there were a few Viking helmets worn at the club members' day training run on Wednesday for Alix Tauru, nicknamed the Flying Viking. Wilkie was asked how many of his remaining AFL games will feature Wanganeen-Milera as a teammate, given growing speculation about the young gun's future beyond this season. "Hopefully all - he's a special kid and a special player. He's really taken it up a notch, like everyone has seen this year, especially with leadership," Wilkie said. "He's a real competitor. Teams are starting to tag him - it's almost an impossible task. Love the player, love the person." This is the lot of a key defender: Callum Wilkie will celebrate his 150-game milestone on the tough road trip to Geelong, trying to stop the AFL's most in-form key forward. And standing at Moorabbin on Wednesday morning, nursing two black eyes after a whack on the nose early in last Sunday's game, the St Kilda backman wouldn't have it any other way. "I usually line up on Jezza (Jeremy Cameron), so I imagine that's what they have in store upstairs. That's a nice way to play your 150th, on the best forward in the comp who's leading the Coleman (Medal)," Wilkie said with a grin. "So beauty." Wilkie, 29, will become only the second AFL player, after Sydney's Jared Crouch, to play 150 consecutive games from debut. The Saints defender has become the poster child for finding a different path to AFL stardom. He was overlooked in four national drafts, eventually combining university and full-time work as an accountant while playing for SANFL side North Adelaide. After the Roosters won the 2018 premiership - coached by Josh Carr and featuring a teenaged Connor Rozee off half-back - Wilkie finally went to the Saints in the rookie draft. He is the club's reigning best-and-fairest winner and earned 2023 All-Australian selection. "It gives you a really good perspective of how good AFL football is. Ultimately we have a great job," Wilkie said of his rocky path to the AFL. "That perspective has held me in good stead, knowing I love playing football and I can do this for a living and ultimately, hopefully try to drag this club to finals and success. "Not getting drafted probably built some resilience." He said the 2018 SANFL flag, North's first in 27 years, remains a key moment in his playing career and is motivation as the Saints try to return to finals. "Definitely, it was a great time. Anyone can attest to this, whether you play amateurs or AFL, winning a flag is probably the best feeling ever," Wilkie said. "I always say this to anyone - if I retired now, that's my favourite football memory. They're my best mates, still to this day, I won a premiership with (them). "You bring that here, you just want to be able to contribute to the footy club, and we want to get there one day. We have a lot of stepping stones first." A few of the newer "stones" are emerging. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is an excitement machine, and there were a few Viking helmets worn at the club members' day training run on Wednesday for Alix Tauru, nicknamed the Flying Viking. Wilkie was asked how many of his remaining AFL games will feature Wanganeen-Milera as a teammate, given growing speculation about the young gun's future beyond this season. "Hopefully all - he's a special kid and a special player. He's really taken it up a notch, like everyone has seen this year, especially with leadership," Wilkie said. "He's a real competitor. Teams are starting to tag him - it's almost an impossible task. Love the player, love the person." This is the lot of a key defender: Callum Wilkie will celebrate his 150-game milestone on the tough road trip to Geelong, trying to stop the AFL's most in-form key forward. And standing at Moorabbin on Wednesday morning, nursing two black eyes after a whack on the nose early in last Sunday's game, the St Kilda backman wouldn't have it any other way. "I usually line up on Jezza (Jeremy Cameron), so I imagine that's what they have in store upstairs. That's a nice way to play your 150th, on the best forward in the comp who's leading the Coleman (Medal)," Wilkie said with a grin. "So beauty." Wilkie, 29, will become only the second AFL player, after Sydney's Jared Crouch, to play 150 consecutive games from debut. The Saints defender has become the poster child for finding a different path to AFL stardom. He was overlooked in four national drafts, eventually combining university and full-time work as an accountant while playing for SANFL side North Adelaide. After the Roosters won the 2018 premiership - coached by Josh Carr and featuring a teenaged Connor Rozee off half-back - Wilkie finally went to the Saints in the rookie draft. He is the club's reigning best-and-fairest winner and earned 2023 All-Australian selection. "It gives you a really good perspective of how good AFL football is. Ultimately we have a great job," Wilkie said of his rocky path to the AFL. "That perspective has held me in good stead, knowing I love playing football and I can do this for a living and ultimately, hopefully try to drag this club to finals and success. "Not getting drafted probably built some resilience." He said the 2018 SANFL flag, North's first in 27 years, remains a key moment in his playing career and is motivation as the Saints try to return to finals. "Definitely, it was a great time. Anyone can attest to this, whether you play amateurs or AFL, winning a flag is probably the best feeling ever," Wilkie said. "I always say this to anyone - if I retired now, that's my favourite football memory. They're my best mates, still to this day, I won a premiership with (them). "You bring that here, you just want to be able to contribute to the footy club, and we want to get there one day. We have a lot of stepping stones first." A few of the newer "stones" are emerging. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is an excitement machine, and there were a few Viking helmets worn at the club members' day training run on Wednesday for Alix Tauru, nicknamed the Flying Viking. Wilkie was asked how many of his remaining AFL games will feature Wanganeen-Milera as a teammate, given growing speculation about the young gun's future beyond this season. "Hopefully all - he's a special kid and a special player. He's really taken it up a notch, like everyone has seen this year, especially with leadership," Wilkie said. "He's a real competitor. Teams are starting to tag him - it's almost an impossible task. Love the player, love the person."
Perth Now
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
'So beauty': Saints defender boasts hot streak to 150
This is the lot of a key defender: Callum Wilkie will celebrate his 150-game milestone on the tough road trip to Geelong, trying to stop the AFL's most in-form key forward. And standing at Moorabbin on Wednesday morning, nursing two black eyes after a whack on the nose early in last Sunday's game, the St Kilda backman wouldn't have it any other way. "I usually line up on Jezza (Jeremy Cameron), so I imagine that's what they have in store upstairs. That's a nice way to play your 150th, on the best forward in the comp who's leading the Coleman (Medal)," Wilkie said with a grin. "So beauty." Wilkie, 29, will become only the second AFL player, after Sydney's Jared Crouch, to play 150 consecutive games from debut. The Saints defender has become the poster child for finding a different path to AFL stardom. He was overlooked in four national drafts, eventually combining university and full-time work as an accountant while playing for SANFL side North Adelaide. After the Roosters won the 2018 premiership - coached by Josh Carr and featuring a teenaged Connor Rozee off half-back - Wilkie finally went to the Saints in the rookie draft. He is the club's reigning best-and-fairest winner and earned 2023 All-Australian selection. "It gives you a really good perspective of how good AFL football is. Ultimately we have a great job," Wilkie said of his rocky path to the AFL. "That perspective has held me in good stead, knowing I love playing football and I can do this for a living and ultimately, hopefully try to drag this club to finals and success. "Not getting drafted probably built some resilience." He said the 2018 SANFL flag, North's first in 27 years, remains a key moment in his playing career and is motivation as the Saints try to return to finals. "Definitely, it was a great time. Anyone can attest to this, whether you play amateurs or AFL, winning a flag is probably the best feeling ever," Wilkie said. "I always say this to anyone - if I retired now, that's my favourite football memory. They're my best mates, still to this day, I won a premiership with (them). "You bring that here, you just want to be able to contribute to the footy club, and we want to get there one day. We have a lot of stepping stones first." A few of the newer "stones" are emerging. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is an excitement machine, and there were a few Viking helmets worn at the club members' day training run on Wednesday for Alix Tauru, nicknamed the Flying Viking. Wilkie was asked how many of his remaining AFL games will feature Wanganeen-Milera as a teammate, given growing speculation about the young gun's future beyond this season. "Hopefully all - he's a special kid and a special player. He's really taken it up a notch, like everyone has seen this year, especially with leadership," Wilkie said. "He's a real competitor. Teams are starting to tag him - it's almost an impossible task. Love the player, love the person."
