The AFL Coaches Association is a "paper tiger" without the muscle to fix footy department funding problems, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says.
Lyon is the latest head coach to voice concern for the next wave of AFL coaches if soft-cap spending does not return to pre-COVID parity.
"The game is in rude health, I don't get stuck in it too much," Lyon told reporters at Adelaide's Glenelg Oval on Friday.
"But it's not just about the coaches, I'd really make that point.
"It's a football department, it's our sports science (specialists), physios, our doctors, our psychs ... all of that goes to supporting and developing players to put them on, right?"
A pragmatic Lyon said no matter the noise from coaches in their concerted campaign, the AFL had the final say.
"I'm certainly not an activist because I think in the end, head office will do what they do," he said.
"There's an AFL Coaches Association, they're really good people. But we're a paper tiger, right? We've got no muscle, have we?
"Otherwise if we had muscle, do you reckon we would be $1.5 (million) down in the soft cap?
"I wouldn't have thought so because we'd strike but we're a paper tiger.
"Hopefully ... what everyone in football contributes to the rude financial health of the competition is respected.
"It's just illogical to think they're still $1.5 (million) under."
Lyon joins other senior figures to rail against the shortfall, including Essendon's Brad Scott who spoke of a disenfranchised coaching cohort.
"I really worry about the next wave of coaches ... because you have got to work at it, you have got to develop your craft," Lyon said.
"I get it. I hear what's been put up ... I'm supportive of what Brad said.
"But I'm not going to be an activist. I've haven't got time, it's not my problem."
The AFL's football operations chief Laura Kane said on Thursday she was concerned about the coaches' grievances.
