St Kilda’s decision to deliver a one-fingered salute to the entire AFL competition was formed towards the end of last season when the club’s leaders brought in a strategist they described as a high-level consultant who told them the Saints needed to change the narrative.

The so-called narrative had been one of a club that had achieved one premiership in 150 years. An organisation that had celebrated individual brilliance but rarely team success. Other clubs might have regarded the Saints over the years as a club of bunglers but what resonated with St Kilda bosses was that they were now seen by supporter groups as meek.

Ross Lyon has embraced St Kilda’s new, aggressive image.Credit: Getty Images

Led by chairman Andrew Bassat, CEO Carl Dilena and Ross Lyon and signed off by the board, the club decreed the narrative would move beyond the Saints’ motto of Strength Through Loyalty to a more progressive agenda deliberately setting out to ruffle feathers.

As Dilena described it to this columnist earlier in the season: “We needed to stand up for ourselves and be more unapologetic about that.”

It was a strategy that came naturally to coach Ross Lyon and his backroom list management team of Graeme Allan – who had unashamedly held a meeting with Tarryn Thomas towards the end of last season – and Stephen Silvagni. From early in the season it became known that the club had targeted Carlton free agent Tom De Koning offering him a reported seven-year $12.5 million contract – an offer that drew criticism from head office down.

Jack Silvagni and Tom De Koning have both left the Blues, bound for St Kilda.Credit: Getty Images

And Bassat set the ball rolling 12 months ago at the Saints best and fairest dinner where he not only unloaded on the inequities of the draft and the unfairness of the northern academies and father-son rule but took aim at Brisbane two days after its premiership win.

Lyon, in his half-joking, half-biting style, happily took aim at his opponents. Of the struggling Carlton Football Club’s decision to change course on appointing him coach he told Channel Seven: “You make your bed and you lie........

© WA Today