Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has come up with a quirky way to shut down the rumours surrounding a possible move away from the AFL club, and it involves a fraudulent health technology company from the US.
Lyon is contracted to Fremantle until the end of the 2020 season and Dockers president Dale Alcock has already declared the club won’t offer the veteran a coach an extension this year.
The situation means Lyon can either take the risk of staying at Fremantle and hoping for better results next year in a bid to earn a new deal, or seek the safety of a fresh start elsewhere.
The 52-year-old has been linked with a sensational move back to St Kilda, while Carlton and North Melbourne are other clubs who are yet to appoint a head coach for next year.
Lyon has previously stated he is keen to stay at the Dockers and he was at his quirky best when asked about fresh rumours this week linking him with a Fremantle exit.
“Well it’s got as much substance as Theranos, I’m sure you know what Theranos is,” Lyon told channel 7.
“A lot of froth, a lot of hype.”
For those who aren’t familiar with Theranos, it was a US company that falsely claimed it had devised a revolutionary blood test system that only needed very small amounts of blood.
The company, which raised $700 million from private market investors, was liquidated last year, and its founder is now facing criminal fraud charges.
When asked whether he needs a contract extension at Fremantle to finally put to bed the outside rumours, Lyon replied: “I don’t know, I don’t give it much thought.
“I’m just here to coach the team.
“It’s all hype and no substance or rigour applied. It’s living off social media.”
Lyon is hopeful both Nat Fyfe (infected elbow) and Rory Lobb (shoulder) will be fit to play in Sunday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.