ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon has urged his side to 'lean into' the pressure that comes with playing at AFL level, saying that's it's not his job to shield his players from the scrutiny.

Lyon says he's aware of the external "noise" that has come following his side's 0-2 start to the season, but that he's "fine-tuned" his social media algorithm to ensure he doesn't see much of it.

The Saints are under pressure following their winless start to the season ahead of a trip north to play Greater Western Sydney this weekend before a home clash against the two-time premier, Brisbane.

Tom De Koning and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera have been in the spotlight given their big-money signatures last year, but Lyon said the scrutiny is part of the job.

"Well, it's not our job (to prepare them for the scrutiny). We just support people. That's why AFL football is abnormal. It's not like what you (journalists) do, you're not under scrutiny. You choose AFL football, you choose stress, you choose anxiety, and you choose being in the arena," he said.

"I'm happy to be in the arena – I know what's coming – but you've got to write your own story.

"And traditionally, both those players have written really strong AFL stories.

"We're all only as good as our next moment. The moment you don't handle the stress and anxiety, it's time to give it away. You've got to keep leaning into it. That's why it’s AFL – it's high performance and its abnormal.

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"If you want 'normal', then you step to the other side of this microphone and the other side of the fence (down) on the ground, and you pursue mediocrity in your life.

"These guys are pursuing excellence, and with that comes a lot of critique."

Lyon added he's only been made aware of the external criticism of the club through his media team.

"There's a lot of noise apparently, but it doesn't come up in my algorithm, I'm not really across everything. I hear the media department tell me there's a lot of noise ... I can fine-tune my algorithm so it feeds me other stuff."

When asked if he was feeling pressure himself, Lyon replied: "No less than when you sign up to be an AFL coach.

"Just because there's noise and rhetoric doesn't increase the pressure. The greatest pressure is internal for performance."

Ross Lyon during St Kilda's match against Essendon in the 2026 AAMI Community Series. Picture: AFL Photos

Much of the focus this week, as for most Saints games, is whether or not the opposition will chose to tag Wanganeen-Milera and limit his impact.

Harry Perryman (Collingwood) and Koltyn Tholstrup (Melbourne) have ensured the superstar has not yet reached the heights of last season, and Lyon says the Saints' goal of getting the ball in the hands of their best player is no different to other clubs.

"I think with any team, get it in (your best player's) hands. Nick Daicos had 23 handball-receives the week before (against St Kilda) and was lauded. The next closest on the ground was 11," he said.

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"So clearly a good strategy is to get it in the hands of your good users. It's not always going to look perfect.

"We don’t want to be 0-2 – we are. And the only way to get out of 0-2 is to improve your football and win.

"But if you dive in (to) the football analysis bar diving into the individuals and the win-loss narrative, there's different analyses."