St Kilda left ‘shocked’ after star Tim Membrey’s mental health battle saw him ruled out of finals match: ‘He is in a safe space and our thoughts are with him’
- Membrey had to withdraw from the team late on Saturday
- St Kilda coach Ross Lyon revealed the news hit the team hard
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St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says Tim Membrey’s late withdrawal from the elimination finals team is ‘no excuse’ for his side’s AFL season-ending defeat to GWS, even as his assistant admitted the club was ‘shocked’ by the news.
Membrey was withdrawn from the Saints line-up just hours before Saturday’s return to the MCG due to what the club called a ‘personal health matter’.
Young forward Anthony Caminiti was given special permission by the league to take Membrey’s place despite not being named as an emergency in the initial 26-man squad.
“It’s probably challenged those closest to him, we’ve dealt with it, he’s in a safe space and our thoughts are with Tim,” Lyon said.
Tim Membrey was forced to miss Saturday’s elimination final against GWS due to a serious mental health problem
Membrey has become one of the biggest stars in the sport during his days on the park
‘We’re just going through it. I have nothing further to add.’
Lyon said the call was made at 8.15am on Saturday, with the AFL and GWS ticking the late change.
“It’s certainly no excuse (for the result),” Lyon said after the Saints lost 15.11 (101) to 11.11 (77).
Saints assistant coach Lenny Hayes revealed the effect the shocking news had on the team.
“These kinds of things come as a shock to all of us,” he said.
“In this situation, we really have to respect Tim and what he’s going through.
“He has a mental health problem at the moment that has kind of been brought up, and that’s all I can say out of respect for him.
‘He is currently in good hands and our thoughts are with him. There’s not much more we can say.
“Our thoughts are with Tim, but we talked to all the players about it before the game and tried to stay focused.”
St Kilda released a short statement addressing the issue at around 10.30am on Saturday.
“Membrey is currently receiving appropriate care and treatment due to a personal health matter,” the statement said.
‘He will be replaced in the wing by Anthony Caminiti.
In a tough encounter without Membrey, the Saints relented and fell four goals behind the Giants
The Giants’ Brent Daniels scores one of his team’s 15 goals as they eliminate St Kilda
‘Tim’s health and well-being are our primary concern and the club asks that the privacy of Tim and the Membrey family is respected at this time.’
GWS coach Adam Kingsley said the Giants were fine with St Kilda bringing in Caminiti as a replacement for Membrey.
“It’s obviously a serious situation with Tim, so we respect that and we had no problem with them replacing him with someone outside of emergency,” Kingsley said.
“It’s one of those unfortunate situations that we feel for the player and it’s one of those unforeseen situations that we just moved on from.”
Membrey had a delayed start to the season, playing just seven games in 2023 while dealing with knee injuries and concussions.
The 29-year-old has played 160 games and scored 263 goals in 10 AFL seasons.