Don Pyke
Encyclopedia
Donald Lachlan Pyke is a former Australian rules football
player, administrator and coach. He played for in the West Australian Football League
(WAFL) and in the Australian Football League
(AFL), and later served as senior coach at Claremont and assistant coach at . He also served on West Coast's board of directors for a number of years.
and his wife, Janet, on 5 December 1968, in Bloomington
, Illinois
. His father, who had previously played for in the WAFL, was teaching at Illinois State University
, having moved to the United States in 1966 to attend Indiana University
. Pyke's other brothers, Stephen and James Pyke
, who later played cricket
for South Australia, had been born in Australia. Pyke and his family returned to Western Australia
in 1972, after his father accepted a role at the University of Western Australia
. The family again moved in 1977, to Canberra
, where his father had accepted a role as Head of the Centre for Sports Studies at the University of Canberra
. Pyke excelled at junior level at both football and cricket, playing for the Belconnen Football Club and representing the Australian Capital Territory
at under-16 and under-19 level.
Pyke was recruited by the Claremont Football Club
for the 1987 season, and played in the club's premiership win over . He also represented the Western Australia under-19 cricket team in two matches at the 1987–88 Australian Under-19 Championships, playing alongside future ers
Brendan Julian and Alan Mullally
. After winning Claremont's best and fairest
in 1988, the E. B. Cook Medal, playing mainly as an attacking rover, Pyke was recruited by the West Coast Eagles
with a pre-draft selection in the 1988 VFL Draft
.
Making his debut in round one of the 1989 season
, against at the WACA Ground
, Pyke played 16 consecutive games before being dropped after a nine-possession game in round 16 against . Due to injury and poor form, he only played four games in the 1990 season
, under new coach Mick Malthouse
. In the round two game against , Pyke kicked three goals, a career high. Pyke was later developed into a player more renowned for his defensive skills. He was a member of the Eagles' Grand Final
-losing side and played in both the 1992
and 1994
premiership sides. Pyke was knocked out by Gary Ablett in the early stages of the 1992 grand final, but returned to play an important role in the win. Playing mainly as a tagger, he tied with Glen Jakovich
for the 1993 Club Champion Award
, also earning seven Brownlow Medal
votes, and was runner-up in the best and fairest to Jakovich the next year. A shoulder injury forced his premature retirement from playing in 1996, although he returned to play in Claremont's 1996 premiership side.
for four years from 2001. In 2003, Pyke was rewarded for his contribution to the West Coast Eagles with life membership. In late 2004, Pyke resigned from the Eagles' board of directors to become an assistant coach to Neil Craig
at , whom he had previously interviewed for the Eagles' job. In late 2006, Pyke resigned as Adelaide's assistant coach after two seasons to return to Western Australia, and concentrate on his business. He has two daughters–Ashton and Chandler–with his wife, Jodie. Pyke was named in West Coast's Team of the Decade, in 1996, and Team 20, in 2006.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player, administrator and coach. He played for in the West Australian Football League
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
(WAFL) and in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL), and later served as senior coach at Claremont and assistant coach at . He also served on West Coast's board of directors for a number of years.
Playing career
Pyke was born to Frank PykeFrank Pyke
Frank Sherman Pyke was an Australian sports scientist, educator, author, Australian rules footballer and sports administrator. He played 130 games for in the Western Australian National Football League , and later served as a professor at a number of universities in Australia, Canada and the...
and his wife, Janet, on 5 December 1968, in Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. His father, who had previously played for in the WAFL, was teaching at Illinois State University
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
, having moved to the United States in 1966 to attend Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. Pyke's other brothers, Stephen and James Pyke
James Pyke (cricketer)
James Kendrick Pyke is a former Australian sportsman who represented South Australia in Sheffield Shield cricket and also played Australian rules football at a high level...
, who later played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for South Australia, had been born in Australia. Pyke and his family returned to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
in 1972, after his father accepted a role at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. The family again moved in 1977, to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, where his father had accepted a role as Head of the Centre for Sports Studies at the University of Canberra
University of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
. Pyke excelled at junior level at both football and cricket, playing for the Belconnen Football Club and representing the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
at under-16 and under-19 level.
Pyke was recruited by the Claremont Football Club
Claremont Football Club
The Claremont Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club in the West Australian Football League . Its official colours are navy blue and gold....
for the 1987 season, and played in the club's premiership win over . He also represented the Western Australia under-19 cricket team in two matches at the 1987–88 Australian Under-19 Championships, playing alongside future ers
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
Brendan Julian and Alan Mullally
Alan Mullally
Alan Mullally is a former English cricketer.Mullally grew up in Western Australia, and played for the Australian Under-19 side against their West Indian counterparts in 1987/88. That same season he made his first-class debut for Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield final victory over...
. After winning Claremont's best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
in 1988, the E. B. Cook Medal, playing mainly as an attacking rover, Pyke was recruited by the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
with a pre-draft selection in the 1988 VFL Draft
1988 VFL Draft
The 1988 VFL National Draft was the third annual National draft held by the Victorian Football League . It consisted of a pre-season draft and a national draft....
.
Making his debut in round one of the 1989 season
1989 VFL season
-Notable events:* In Round 13, horrendous conditions at Windy Hill saw Essendon and Footscray play the lowest scoring game since the 1927 Grand Final, with the teams combining for only 6.15 ....
, against at the WACA Ground
WACA Ground
The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
, Pyke played 16 consecutive games before being dropped after a nine-possession game in round 16 against . Due to injury and poor form, he only played four games in the 1990 season
1990 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 1990.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 154...
, under new coach Mick Malthouse
Mick Malthouse
Michael "Mick" Malthouse is a former Australian rules footballer and the former coach of the Collingwood Football Club.While his playing career included a premiership for Richmond in the VFL, he is best known for his Australian Football League coaching career.Malthouse is the most successful coach...
. In the round two game against , Pyke kicked three goals, a career high. Pyke was later developed into a player more renowned for his defensive skills. He was a member of the Eagles' Grand Final
1991 AFL Grand Final
The 1991 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at Waverley Park in Melbourne on 28 September 1991. It was the 95th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
-losing side and played in both the 1992
1992 AFL Grand Final
The 1992 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 26 September 1992. It was the 96th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League,...
and 1994
1994 AFL Grand Final
The 1994 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 1 October 1994. It was the 98th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League,...
premiership sides. Pyke was knocked out by Gary Ablett in the early stages of the 1992 grand final, but returned to play an important role in the win. Playing mainly as a tagger, he tied with Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich is a former Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles.Glen was recruited from South Fremantle in Western Australia and debuted in 1991 and played most of his career at the Centre Half Back position, in the number 27 gernsey...
for the 1993 Club Champion Award
Club Champion Award
The Club Champion Award is the award given to the West Coast Eagles player determined to have been the "Best and Fairest" throughout an AFL season....
, also earning seven Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
votes, and was runner-up in the best and fairest to Jakovich the next year. A shoulder injury forced his premature retirement from playing in 1996, although he returned to play in Claremont's 1996 premiership side.
Post-playing career
After his retirement, Pyke continued his involvement with the Eagles, serving as team runner in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, Pyke became the senior coach of the Claremont until his resignation in 2000. He then became a director at West CoastWest Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
for four years from 2001. In 2003, Pyke was rewarded for his contribution to the West Coast Eagles with life membership. In late 2004, Pyke resigned from the Eagles' board of directors to become an assistant coach to Neil Craig
Neil Craig
Neil P. Craig is a former Australian rules footballer, fitness adviser and former coach of the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League . As of 2012, he will be based in a new role as the Director of Sports Performance at the Melbourne Football Club...
at , whom he had previously interviewed for the Eagles' job. In late 2006, Pyke resigned as Adelaide's assistant coach after two seasons to return to Western Australia, and concentrate on his business. He has two daughters–Ashton and Chandler–with his wife, Jodie. Pyke was named in West Coast's Team of the Decade, in 1996, and Team 20, in 2006.