'Dog eat dog world': St Kilda coach Ross Lyon's cheeky advice for Sydney's Dean Cox during first-year struggles

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon had a blunt response when asked what his focus was for the remainder of the AFL season, given his team is all-but eliminated from the finals race.

The Saints sit 15th on the ladder and are five wins out of eighth and clearly too far back to make a serious run at September at this point.

They boast a young core of talent, with the likes of Max Hall, Alix Tauru, Hugo Garcia, Isaac Keeler, Angus Hastie, Tobie Travaglia and more emerging this year as long-term prospects worth keeping a close eye on.

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"I would think it's a goal for every AFL club and every player that every day you get out of bed - and David Parkin in 1986 used to say 'every day you get up you've got to work your arse off to get better'," Lyon told reporters on Friday.

"The game is giving us feedback and three and half quarters or poor execution doesn't get it done.

"It's got to be a great spirit and great execution. We're here to improve today. We're really clear the areas (of improvement)."

The Saints take on Sydney this weekend, with the Swans in a similar boat, though still clinging onto faint finals hopes.

The Swans have been battered by injuries in Dean Cox's first year as coach, but Lyon jokingly admitted he didn't have a heap of empathy lying around for the newest member of the head coach cohort.

"I didn't get much empathy either (in 2007), good luck everyone, it's a dog eat dog world," Lyon said.

"The coaching cohort, I think we eat our own, but deep down there is a mutual respect and the empathy is that we are in each other's shoes and we understand.

"Everyone knows they're alive. It's an easy job until you sit in the chair."

And as for chat about a mid-season tournament to liven up the season ... the St Kilda coach dismissed even the idea of discussing the topic.

"That's part of the AFL pantomime, I haven't got time for it," Lyon said.

The Saints have lost defender Jimmy Webster to injury for the clash, while the Swans will be without forwards Tom Papley and Joel Amartey.