AFL Trades 2022: Former Fremantle coach Ross Lyon slams West Coast for response to Junior Rioli trade request

Former Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has clipped West Coast for their reaction to Junior Rioli’s request to be traded to Port Adelaide. The Eagles revealed on Tuesday that Rioli had asked to be traded to the Power, with the premiership forward set to sign a four-year, $2.4m deal. Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett said they were “bitterly disappointed” with Rioli’s request. “We could not have done any more to support Junior since his infraction in 2019,” he said. “We facilitated his appeal and subsequent return to football, so this decision is bitterly disappointing. “We will put that disappointment to one side now and work to arrange a suitable trade for a player who has high end talent, is a premiership player and is in the prime of his career, having played just 51 games of senior football. This was in reference to their support of Rioli during his two-year doping ban, which he only returned from late last year. Lyon, who coached the Dockers from 2012 to 2019 before being sacked, criticised the Eagles for their response. “I thought they were out of line, West Coast,” Ross told Triple M on Wednesday. “When you’ve got a player on your list, it’s your responsibility to support him with everything you got. “It’s not a bonus that you supported Rioli … it’s your job, it’s your responsibility to support the player. I think it’s a bit rich clipping him on the way out.” West Coast list boss Rohan O’Brien said the Eagles would deal with other clubs over a potential trade for Rioli should they not get adequate compensation from Port Adelaide. “In our eyes, it’s pretty significant because of the type of player he is and the quality he is and the age that he is,” O’Brien told SEN. “We think he’s approaching his best footy. We haven’t sat down as a group to work out what that looks like. “It’s really up to Port now to come to us with a satisfactory deal that will allow us to agree to the trade and if they can’t do that there are potentially other avenues.