MELBOURNE legend Garry Lyon has hit back at Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, labelling the Hawks powerbroker a "bully".

Kennett fired a shot at the Demons champion, saying Lyon has "either got to make a commitment to get in there and help and do it as Jason [Dunstall] has [at Hawthorn], for three to six years, or he ought to just butt out."

''If Garry's now saying I'll come in and help for three or four months, you're not going to turn around a ship which is in as much trouble as Melbourne in a few months."

Lyon was scathing in his response on Thursday's Footy Show.

"If you're framing a market on who's going to shoot their gob off first about this stuff, he'd be $1.01," Lyon said.

"Why he feels the need to stick his nose in to other clubs is beyond me. He's got some bully tendencies, Jeff, and he's got a footy club that he's inherited from a man called Ian Dicker, who did an outstanding job.

"I reckon there's a hell of a lot [of people] at Hawthorn that are going to take a deep sigh of relief when he leaves at the end of the year.

"He gets personal about it in relation to me, he reckons I'm huffing, puffing, strutting around and saying, 'I'm the king', [but] nothing is further from the truth, so he's either ignorant, ill-informed or he's lying about it.

'"I'm not copping that from Jeff Kennett."

Lyon took up a temporary hands-on role with Melbourne on Thursday, where he will act as a liaison between the board and the football department. Lyon will also assist in finding the Demons' next coach.