FIND out what’s being said about the club in the major daily newspapers on Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Herald Sun

Ex-Dees skipper joins GWS
By Mike Sheahan

TOM Scully will have a familiar face alongside him in new colours next year - his 2010 captain at Melbourne, James McDonald.  McDonald, 35 next month, has been coaxed into reviving his AFL career with Greater Western Sydney as a playing assistant coach. He has been talked into a hands-on role by Giants director of football, Graeme "Gubby" Allan, and coaches Kevin Sheedy and Mark Williams. "It's a bit of a unique one," McDonald said last night. "A playing-coaching role." McDonald has been mentoring the club's Melbourne-based players in a part-time role. He has kept fit playing for his original club, Old Xaverians, in the Victorian amateurs. He played in the team beaten by St Bedes/Mentone in the A grade preliminary final on Sunday.

St Kilda insists Lyon won’t Dee-part
By Mark Robinson

ST KILDA is adamant Ross Lyon will be its coach in 2012 and beyond, despite intense speculation he was poised to quit the club and coach Melbourne. Saints president Greg Westaway last night said he had "every confidence" Lyon would coach the final year of his contract. "The supporters love him, the players love him, the executive loves him, the board loves him," Westaway said. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted (about the talk about Melbourne), I don't where it comes from. "He hasn't indicated anything to me and I've been talking to him on three or four occasions very recently. "I know he's got to think about his future, and he's got to work out the best deal for himself, but we will endeavour to give him the best deal. "Ross is a man of integrity, of great integrity, I've got all the faith in the world he will do what he has to do, which is, he will coach us next year."

The Age

Why the Dees can gain from pain
By Jake Niall

THE PAIN of losing the six-million-dollar man to Greater Western Sydney shouldn't linger for too long. Melbourne is well-placed to prosper from Tom Scully's decision to take the obscene money and run. The Demons have two first-round picks to use as they wish. Holding the two picks, which can be traded to any club, means they will be able to put in a strong bid for Jaegar O'Meara, the 17-year-old West Australian midfielder whom many clubs are hoping to acquire in a deal with GWS. O'Meara is regarded by recruiters as almost the equivalent of a No. 1 draft pick and possibly of similar value to Scully. If he was in the draft next year, most clubs believe he would vie with Victorian youngster Lachie Whitfield to be the No. 1 pick. Under the rules, GWS can trade the rights to O'Meara to a club in the coming weeks, but he cannot be placed on the new club's list. For the Giants, who have the right to trade four 17-year-olds over two years, O'Meara is the best auction item on their books.

Lyon to honour Saints contract
By Michael Gleeson

MELBOURNE appears to have been thwarted in its attempt to poach Ross Lyon, with the Saints coach committing to stay at Seaford next year while work begins on a new deal to hold him there for the years beyond. Lyon's managers are understood to have advised St Kilda yesterday that he will honour his contract to coach the club next year as both parties agreed they wanted to begin negotiations on a contract extension for him to remain at the club. Lyon's contract was believed to have included a clause that might have allowed him to break the deal, so his move to re-confirm his contract for next year has ensured that Melbourne's pursuit has been blocked.