DOB: 13 September 1967
Debut: Round 1, 1986 against Richmond at MCG
Last Game: Round 11, 1999 against Collingwood at MCG
From: Kyabram/Melbourne High School
Numbers: 56 and 57 (1985 Reserves), 3 (1986-1999)
Honours
Best and Fairest - 1990, 1994
Captain - 1991 - 1997
Leading Goalkicker - 1994, 1995
Grand Final team - 1988
Night Premiership - 1987, 1989
Best First Year Player - 1986
150 Heroes selection
Team of the Century member
All Australian - 1993, 1994, 1995
Victorian state player - 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995
Life Member - 1995
MFC Hall of Fame - 2006
Games: 226
Goals: 426
Career Statistics
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
| 127 | 1 | 98 | 56.19 |
Statistical categories led
Most games and most goals in number 3
Most goals in a final: 10 - Semi Final 1994
Signed by Melbourne as a 15-year-old in 1984, the son of 16 game Hawthorn player Peter was also wanted by the Hawks, who unsuccessfully proposed altering the father/son rule from 20 games to 15 so they could take the younger Lyon despite him living in Melbourne's country zone. He made his way through the Under 19s and Reserves to debut for the senior side in the opening round of 1986.
Lyon had an immediate impact, kicking 26 goals in 20 games and winning the Best First Year Player award. He added another 28 goals in 1987, but missed playing finals after suffering a broken leg in Round 22. The injury had no long-term impact, and he was again prominent in the forward line during 1988, as Melbourne made a Grand Final. He had kicked the winning goal in the Elimination Final, and kicked two of his side's six goals during their Grand Final drubbing.
In 1989, Lyon was amongst the Brownlow Medal favourites before a groin injury in Round 16. The issue flared several times when he looked likely to return, but had no impact on his medal chances as he only polled three votes. His 1990 campaign also ended with injury, after 21 games on the way to his first Best and Fairest, Lyon missed the Semi Final loss to West Coast after colliding with Steve O'Dwyer at training on Thursday before the game. He tripled his Brownlow tally from 1989, able to play more parts of the ground after the arrival of full forward Darren Bennett.
Lyon returned to the forward line in 1992 as Darren Bennett lost form and Allen Jakovich battled injury. Despite missing seven matches in the middle of the year with damaged ligaments from a broken thumb he booted 30 goals, and after returning in Round 16 was called into the Victorian state squad. He didn't add to his state appearances in 1988, 1990, 1991.
By 1993 he was considered one of the most important players in the competition, but had a troubled pre-season due to stress fractures around the pelvis, and was then outed by a rib injury in Round 1. He recovered to play 18 games, registering his best goal tally since 1988. The next year ex-Demons now at Richmond, Cameron Schwab and John Northey made a huge offer to lure Lyon to Punt Road. He took a four year contract extension to stay with Melbourne, but the payments were later cited in an investigation into the club's salary cap breaches. After a career-best 10 goal haul against Footscray in the 1994 Semi Final, Lyon's career was ruined by injuries. He overcame a pre-season wrist injury to play 20 games in 1995, but added just 11 more during 1996 and 1997. During 1995 he was one of 10 players involved in a writ against the AFL over marketing rights.
For several years Lyon had suffered sciatica in his back with associated hamstring issues, and he broke down after two games of 1996. He was sent for testing at the University of Newcastle's Spinal Research Institute, and returned in Round 8 even though he hadn't run for over a month. The comeback was short-lived, only lasting until Round 11. Lyon appeared in just two games in 1997 after undergoing surgery. He declined an offer to coach the team for the second half of the year after Neale Balme was sacked.
Lyon gave up the captaincy before the start of 1998 after leading the side in 117 matches over seven seasons and was replaced by Todd Viney. An inspirational return in Round 2 of that year helped the Demons to a shock win over North Melbourne and his body held on for 20 games, including finals. He played on in 1999 but the back issues returned, keeping him out until Round 10. Lyon played his last game the next week and was immediately approached by Adelaide as a potential senior coach but ultimately turned down the chance to apply for the job.
Collingwood offered Lyon a coaching role and Richmond also attempted to lure him to Punt Road after Jeff Gieschen resigned as senior coach in 1999, but his AFL ambitions didn't go behind an assistant coaching role at Melbourne in 2000. The next year he coached the Australian International Rules side, before rejecting further coaching opportunities and concentrating on a media career.
In 2003 Lyon's home was raided by Australian Federal Police and tax office agents as part of an investigation into payments he received in his final years at the Demons. The club was also raided. A payment of $30,000 to Lyon led to the club being fined $55,000 in an ongoing tax investigation that year but he was cleared of any personal wrongdoing.
In 2005 after serving as host of the Sunday Footy Show, and co-writing the Specky Magee children's book, he became co-host of the Thursday night Footy Show. Having ruled out applying for the senior coaching role in 2008 after Neale Daniher left, Lyon then worked with the sub-committee that appointed Dean Bailey to the top job.
In the wake of the club's near record loss to Geelong in 2011 and the sacking of Bailey, Lyon was appointed to the club as a temporary football director on 4 August. He took over the Football Director role from Jim Stynes who was battling cancer, and assisted in the appointment of Mark Neeld before standing down again to concentrate fully on his media commitments.
Lyon presented the premiership cup after Melbourne won the 2021 Grand Final.
| Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
| 1986 | 20 | 26 | 3 |
| 1987 | 18 | 28 | 1 |
| 1988 | 22 | 41 | 0 |
| 1989 | 15 | 20 | 3 |
| 1990 | 21 | 13 | 9 |
| 1991 | 18 | 11 | 0 |
| 1992 | 16 | 30 | 0 |
| 1993 | 18 | 36 | 5 |
| 1994 | 24 | 79 | 10 |
| 1995 | 20 | 77 | 9 |
| 1996 | 6 | 15 | 0 |
| 1997 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| 1998 | 21 | 40 | 0 |
| 1999 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
Tribunal record
| Match | Charge | Sanction | |
| Round 9, 1990 | Abusive Language | Reprimand | |
| Round 12, 1991 | Striking | 1 match | |
| Round 19, 1991 | Striking | Withdrawn | |
| Round 17, 1998 | Attempted tripping | Not Guilty | |
Notes
Some sources says his 1992 injury was a broken wrist.
Media
Age - 30/08/1989, 09/09/1990, 08/05/1992, 24/06/1992, 02/07/1992, 01/08/1993, 29/09/1993, 12/05/1995, 11/06/1995, 17/04/1996, 14/05/1996, 22/10/1999, 15/05/2003
Canberra Times - 12/05/1995
Illawarra Mercury - 02/04/1999, 20/07/1999
Links
Australian Rules Football Wiki profile
Demonwiki image gallery
Penguin Publishing profile
Stretcher Vision
Wikipedia profile