Lyon refuses to be drawn on finals talk

ST KILDA may have latched onto the back of a logjam of teams clambering for a finals berth with the win over Hawthorn, but coach Ross Lyon refused to admit his side had rejoined the finals race on Saturday night.

The Saints joined a group of four teams on eight wins with the highest of those, Sydney, sitting in eighth spot, but the Saints' coach isn't looking too far ahead and is just happy with the progress his players have shown since a mid-season re-evaluation. 

"It was always going to be a difficult game. You don't fluke being second on the ladder, they've been in good form and it was a real challenge for our group, so it was pleasing to get away with the four points," Lyon said.

"The way we're going about it is we're not really looking at the ladder and our win-loss.

"Clearly we needed to improve as a team from where we were and we set ourselves some areas to work on over the break and, win or lose, we want to continue to try and deliver on them. We feel we're doing that and that's obviously created the potential for us to win some games.

"You can talk the process, method, focus, KPIs, whatever, but we've got a couple of things we're focusing on and it's standing the team in really good stead under pressure."

A storm of controversy followed the 'ugly' encounter between the two sides when they met back in round eight this season and Lyon was asked whether that match had played any part in his side's preparation for the return bout.

"I think a few more goals were kicked," he said with a wry smile. "We've had a fair opportunity to look at Hawthorn and when they've been winning a lot of games, but we didn't prepare any differently than we would for any other opposition.

"But you do understand them a little bit more. They've got some very talented young players, and you start to understand their strengths and weaknesses a little bit more. In saying that, I never relaxed until the siren went and it was always difficult all night."

Shane Birss was the only casualty out of the evening with the 24-year-old suffering blurred vision in his right eye after copping a stray finger.

Lyon said Matthew Clarke and James Gwilt are a chance at senior selection next week, but he revealed time is running out for Aaron Hamill to salvage his season.

"If he doesn't train by next weekend then we'll sit down and assess it," he said.

"And then it's seven weeks to go and is he a chance to play senior footy? Unless he probably plays next week [for Casey], no, and then what's the best management and we'll meet with the surgeon and our doctors because he's really important to us.