Garry Lyon
Encyclopedia
Garry Peter Lyon is a former professional Australian rules football
player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club
in the Australian Football League
. Since his retirement from football, he has been mainly an Australian rules football media personality, featuring on television, radio and in newspapers. He has also coached during the International Rules Series
.
, was born in Devonport and attended Melbourne High School. He was recruited from Kyabram
and debuted in 1986 with the Melbourne Football Club
, playing in a Grand Final in 1988
. He quickly became a dominant player in the AFL, winning his first Melbourne Football Club
Best and Fairest
Award in 1990. He became Melbourne's captain in 1991, and eventually became the longest-serving Melbourne captain in club history until he was released from the role after the 1997 season due to the club's belief that he would suffer from too many injuries. Lyon was known for playing with many alleged back injuries and his presence on the field despite such alleged adversity saw him as an inspiration to teammates.
Lyon finished his career having won two Melbourne Best and Fairest awards, three All-Australian teams. His career ended as a result of increasing back problems. A broken leg, footage of which is often played on The AFL Footy Show
ended one of his seasons. In the end he finished with 226 AFL games and 426 goals in 1999, third best all-time for a Melbourne player.
, and in 2004 he hosted Morning Glory on SEN 1116
. In 2005 he returned to 3AW, and appeared on Sports Today
as well as providing special comments for the station's AFL coverage. In 2007, Lyon moved to Triple M
where he currently co-hosts Friday Night M Sport with James Brayshaw
.
Lyon became a regular panelist on the The AFL Footy Show
late in his playing career. In 2006, alongside James Brayshaw
he took the hosting reins of the program after Eddie McGuire
became CEO of the Nine Network
. Previously he had worked alongside Brayshaw on The Sunday Footy Show and in 2005 on Any Given Sunday, as well as being a presenter of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 coverage on Nine.
He is a columnist for the newspaper The Age
, and has co-authored children's books including those in the Specky Magee
series with Felice Arena
.
Despite being touted as a potential Melbourne Football Club coach, Lyon has vowed not to re-enter senior coaching. In 2009, he coached the Victorian under 16 representative side at the AFL championships.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player and was captain of the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Since his retirement from football, he has been mainly an Australian rules football media personality, featuring on television, radio and in newspapers. He has also coached during the International Rules Series
International Rules Series
The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...
.
Football career
Lyon, the son of former Hawthorn player PeterPeter Lyon
Peter Lyon is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League during the 1960s....
, was born in Devonport and attended Melbourne High School. He was recruited from Kyabram
Kyabram Football Club
The Kyabram Football Club are an Australian rules football club which compete in the Goulburn Valley Football League . They are based in Kyabram, Victoria.Kyabram were a foundation club in the GVFL and have been one of the most dominant...
and debuted in 1986 with the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
, playing in a Grand Final in 1988
1988 VFL Grand Final
The 1988 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 1988. It was the 92nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
. He quickly became a dominant player in the AFL, winning his first Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
Best and Fairest
Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
The Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged Best and Fairest for the season.It is named in honor of Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, a former dual premiership player and World War II fighter ace killed in 1943....
Award in 1990. He became Melbourne's captain in 1991, and eventually became the longest-serving Melbourne captain in club history until he was released from the role after the 1997 season due to the club's belief that he would suffer from too many injuries. Lyon was known for playing with many alleged back injuries and his presence on the field despite such alleged adversity saw him as an inspiration to teammates.
Lyon finished his career having won two Melbourne Best and Fairest awards, three All-Australian teams. His career ended as a result of increasing back problems. A broken leg, footage of which is often played on The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
ended one of his seasons. In the end he finished with 226 AFL games and 426 goals in 1999, third best all-time for a Melbourne player.
Media career
Lyon's radio career began in the late 1990s on 3AW3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...
, and in 2004 he hosted Morning Glory on SEN 1116
SEN 1116
SEN 1116 , the acronym standing for Sports Entertainment Network, is a commercial AM radio station based in Melbourne, Australia, operating on 1116 kHz...
. In 2005 he returned to 3AW, and appeared on Sports Today
Sports Today
Sports Today is a long-running radio show on Melbourne, Australia radio station 3AW.It currently airs on Monday to Thursday between 6 pm – 8 pm and is hosted by Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell....
as well as providing special comments for the station's AFL coverage. In 2007, Lyon moved to Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
where he currently co-hosts Friday Night M Sport with James Brayshaw
James Brayshaw
James Antony Brayshaw is a former state cricketer and now Australian television and radio personality. As a cricketer he was known as Jamie Brayshaw. He is the son of former Western Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer Ian Brayshaw, and the brother of Mark Brayshaw, a former...
.
Lyon became a regular panelist on the The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
late in his playing career. In 2006, alongside James Brayshaw
James Brayshaw
James Antony Brayshaw is a former state cricketer and now Australian television and radio personality. As a cricketer he was known as Jamie Brayshaw. He is the son of former Western Australian cricketer and Australian rules footballer Ian Brayshaw, and the brother of Mark Brayshaw, a former...
he took the hosting reins of the program after Eddie McGuire
Eddie McGuire
Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
became CEO of the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
. Previously he had worked alongside Brayshaw on The Sunday Footy Show and in 2005 on Any Given Sunday, as well as being a presenter of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 coverage on Nine.
He is a columnist for the newspaper The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, and has co-authored children's books including those in the Specky Magee
Specky Magee
The Specky Magee series is a highly popular and best-selling children’s book series in Australia. The books, written by Felice Arena and Garry Lyon, chronicle the life and times of teenager Simon Magee, an aspiring Aussie Rules football champion. There are currently eight books in the series...
series with Felice Arena
Felice Arena
Felice Arena is an Australian children's author and illustrator, and occasional actor. He is best known for the bestselling and award-winning Specky Magee series, and his hilarious Farticus Maximus books...
.
Coaching
Since his retirement, Lyon has dabbled in coaching. He has coached the Australian International rules football team debuting in 2001 and remained coach for four successive seasons before being replaced by Kevin Sheedy. His International Rules record remains as two heavy losses and two narrow wins.Despite being touted as a potential Melbourne Football Club coach, Lyon has vowed not to re-enter senior coaching. In 2009, he coached the Victorian under 16 representative side at the AFL championships.