David Teague's manager Liam Pickering has once again leapt to his client's defense following Ross Lyon's remarks surrounding his potential to succeed Teague in the Princes Park role.
As Saturday night's clash against the Giants appears likely to be the bespectacled steward's last in a navy blue polo, speculation has reached fever pitch in regards to who will replace him for the 2022 season, with Lyon currently being seen as the frontrunner by a plethora of punters and pundits
In a move that infuriated Pickering, Lyon openly suggested earlier this week that he held an interest in filling the role when speaking on Footy Classified.
"I have shifted a little bit...If an opportunity arose, I would entertain it."
Ross Lyon faces hard questioning from Caroline Wilson over a potential return to AFL coaching and says he declined an invitation to talk about the Collingwood job.#9FootyClassified | Watch @channel9 pic.twitter.com/78NccToP2N
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) August 18, 2021
Offering a retort to the ex-St Kilda and Fremantle coach's comments, Pickering claimed that on Saturday morning that although Teague's tenure appeared done, Lyon's words were out of line.
โI spoke to Carlton this week [to seek clarity on David Teagueโs future] and they didnโt have an answer,โ he said on SEN Radio.
โThey said we have to wait for a review, apparently they have a meeting on Sunday or Monday and then theyโll make the call. The silence is deafening.
โWe have blokes going on television on Wednesday night jockeying for his job. I donโt know what that was from Ross Lyon, it was like a job interview to me. It was pretty grubby.
โI thought it was a grubby thing, it was a set-up interview. It was pretty poor really."
The former North Melbourne and Geelong player also suggested that Lyon was certain to have already spoken with the Blues' brass and that his public posturing for Teague's job lacked class.
โI am 100 per cent [Ross Lyon has] had dialogue with Carlton already," Pickering continued.
"He was talking very smugly the other night. He didnโt want to be disrespectful to David Teague and then went on a five-minute rant about why heโd be a great man for the job.
โI get angrier than this stuff than [David] Teague does, I donโt think you treat people the way heโs been treated this year. Itโs poor.โ
Pickering's comments come a week to the day after he backed his client in a similar manner.ย
Carlton's aforesaid clash against the Giants is set to commence at 7:40pm AEST with their season concluding once the final siren sounds.
