It’s been a busy few days at Punt Road both on and off the field, but Ross Lyon isn’t going to let the Saints be distracted by the noise ahead of Saturday’s match against the Tigers.

Between the milestones and unfolding stories for Richmond comes the coaching match-up of Lyon and former Saint Andrew McQualter, who is three games into his role as caretaker coach after assuming the position from Damien Hardwick.

McQualter played 89 games for St Kilda between 2005-2011, playing his last five seasons at the club under Lyon, which included three Grand Final appearances.

“I haven’t really thought about it to be honest. It’s great to see him with an opportunity and taking it… but it’s all about us on the weekend,” Lyon said at this morning’s press conference.

“I think he’s handled himself with aplomb and what a win over there (in Fremantle), they were pretty special. We’ve got our work cut out, but we’ve got a lot of belief. 

“We didn’t get our method quite right in the first half (against Sydney), but then really got to work on the second and played some really strong, contested football.”

Saturday’s match will be the second week in a row the Saints will come up against a significant opposition milestone, with triple-Premiership captain Trent Cotchin’s 300th game following on from Lance Franklin’s 350th from Thursday evening.

But when factoring into the week’s preparation, it’s nothing more than an acknowledgement from the Saints’ cam; the vision remaining fixed on delivering a complete performance and drawing on its own inspiration before taking to the main stage.

It will be just St Kilda’s second game at the MCG this season following on from the club’s 150th Year Anniversary Game against Essendon, which ended in a pulsating win on the hallowed turf.

“We acknowledge it and they’re going to be up with the Tiger Army and all that, but let’s get the Saints fans there,” Lyon said.

“We’ve just got to have our own arousal and connection piece. It’s been strong all year, but it was unbreakable against Sydney, so we need to take that mentality against the Tigers. It’s a big game for Richmond, their triple Premiership captain’s (300th)… and the Tiger horde will be there.

Tiger-turned-Saint Dan Butler will learn whether or not he’ll line up against his former side later this afternoon after St Kilda decided to challenge his one-game suspension for a tackle on Sydney’s Nick Blakey.

Cards close to the chest, a coy Lyon said he wasn’t going to make any early judgments about Butler’s availability for Saturday’s game.

“I’ve learned to expect nothing and make no assumptions,” Lyon said.

“It’ll clearly go before the Tribunal. He’s been really important to us. I can only talk about the facts and you’re not going to get a headline out of me, right? I always have my coach’s hat on.

“But Blakey wasn’t concussed so that’s clearly in (Butler’s) favour, and then the memo sent out by Laura Kane that the chase-down tackle from behind didn’t sit within those parameters.

“We’re all sitting here interested in the outcome.”