Garry Lyon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garry Lyon |
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Lyon in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Garry Peter Lyon | ||
| Date of birth | 13 September 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Devonport, Tasmania | ||
| Original team | Kyabram (GVFL) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre half-forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Representative
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Garry Peter Lyon (born 13 September 1967) is a famous former professional Australian rules football player. He was the captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After he stopped playing, he became a well-known media personality. You might have seen him on TV, heard him on the radio, or read his articles in newspapers. He also coached the Australia international rules football team. Garry Lyon is known for being the most recent player in the VFL/AFL to kick ten goals in a finals match. He achieved this amazing feat in 1994.
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Early Life and Start in Football
Garry Lyon was born in Devonport, Tasmania. His dad, Peter Lyon, also played football for the Hawthorn Football Club. When Garry was young, his family moved to Victoria.
Garry Lyon's Playing Career
Playing for Melbourne
Garry Lyon started his AFL journey with the Melbourne Football Club in 1986. He was recruited from the Kyabram Football Club. He quickly became a very strong player in the league. In 1990, he won his first Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal, which is an award for the club's best and fairest player.
In 1991, Garry became the captain of the Melbourne team. He was the longest-serving captain in the club's history! He was known for playing even when he had serious back injuries. His ability to keep playing despite pain inspired his teammates.
Garry's career ended in 1999 because of his ongoing back problems. He played 226 VFL/AFL games and kicked 426 goals. This makes him one of Melbourne's top goal-kickers ever. He also won two best and fairest awards and was named in three All-Australian teams.
State of Origin Games
Garry Lyon also had a great career playing for Victoria in State of Origin games. These matches involved the best players from different Australian states playing against each other. He was first chosen to play for Victoria in 1988.
In 1994, Garry was given the huge honour of being named Captain of Victoria. He has said that playing State of Origin was "a great honour" and that he "loved it." He believes that today's best players should also get the chance to play for their state. He described training with the best players as a "dream come true."
Life After Football: Media and Coaching
Media Career
Garry Lyon started his media career while still playing. In the early 1990s, he hosted a children's TV show called AFL Squadron. Later, he moved into radio and hosted shows on 3AW and SEN 1116. He also provided special comments for AFL games on Triple M.
He became a regular on The AFL Footy Show, a popular football TV program. In 2006, he became a host of the show alongside James Brayshaw. He also wrote columns for The Age newspaper. Plus, he helped write children's books, including the Specky Magee series.
In 2017, Garry joined Fox Footy as a commentator and panelist on the show On The Couch. He continues to host On The Couch and commentate on Friday Night Football. In 2021, Garry had the special honour of presenting the AFL premiership cup to Melbourne's captain and coach after they won their first championship in 57 years!
Coaching
After retiring from playing, Garry Lyon also tried his hand at coaching. He coached the Australia international rules football team from 2001 for four seasons. His team won two of the four series they played.
Many people thought he might become the coach of the Melbourne Football Club one day. However, Garry decided not to follow that path. In 2009, he coached the Victorian under-16 team at the AFL championships.
