Lyon denies drug rumour
Monday Mar 26 13:00 AEST
By Tony Jones
National Nine News sports presenter
Given the AFL's 2007 season officially gets underway this Friday night, those who mix in football circles should be on a real high this week.
But being on any sort of "high" at the moment is fraught with danger; guilt by association.
Having fed off the West Coast Eagles for the better part of a fortnight, it was only a matter of time before the media would turn on itself.
Football's rumour mill has long been swirling with talk of high profile ex-players-turned-commentators mixed up in illicit drugs.
The finger-pointing and cryptic mobile phone conversations have now reached fever point following an article in Melbourne's Sunday Age which indicated that one such person was central to a police investigation and is poised to be charged.
The resume reads as this:
- a player of distinction at a Melbourne-based club
- high profile member of the media
The field suddenly narrows and that's a slap in the face to the likes of former Melbourne champion and Channel Nine identity Garry Lyon.
It seems that Lyon's name is frequently mentioned when it comes to these drug rumours to the point where he has gone public in his denial.
"I can categorically state, 110 percent, that it's not me" Lyon told the Herald Sun newspaper.
"It's a slap in the face when people ask. It's certainly not me,” he said.
I felt a sense of guilt reading the last quote given that, despite my friendship with Lyon, I had cause to phone him over the weekend to ask similar questions.
Not for a moment, did I seriously suspect Garry was caught up in any such activity but I needed confirmation from the man himself.
Another who "fits the bill" is former North Melbourne star Wayne Carey. As a result, he's found himself the subject of a headline "Carey stays silent on drug use ducking a hot topic".
All this because Carey was within earshot of his young daughter and not prepared to comment.
Lyon, himself, is a father to three young boys. What must they think when they read of their dad's supposed links to illegal activities?
Like most footy scandals this one has a limited life.
Soon, there'll be more controversy to cover.
Surely it's only a matter of time before we (the media) start umpire bashing and criticisng the surface at Telstra dome.
Then again, best we steer clear of grass and white lines.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=256688
