Martin Pike
Encyclopedia
Martin Pike is a former Australian Football League
player who played with four clubs during 13 seasons. Highlights of his career included a premiership with the Kangaroos
, three more with Brisbane
, the final best-and-fairest winner with Fitzroy
in 1996, and selection in the 1998 South Australian state-of-origin side.
picked Pike with their first choice (ninth overall) in the 1992 national draft. He played 8 games at centre half-back
in his first year in 1993. However, an injury in the earlier part of the season persuaded coach Neil Balme
to move him to the forward line. Pike played in three finals in 1994.
Despite his strong on-field performance, Melbourne traded Pike to the Fitzroy Football Club
at the end of 1994 due to his off-field problems with alcohol.
After playing 14 games in 1995, Pike played all 22 games in 1996 winning the club's best-and-fairest award, beating later Port Adelaide
captain Mathew Primus for the honour. However, ongoing financial difficulties led to Fitzroy merging with the then Brisbane Bears
to form the Brisbane Lions. Pike was not selected as one of the eight Fitzroy players to move north to Brisbane at the end of 1996, largely due to his poor off-field reputation.
supporters had about the failed merger with the North Melbourne Football Club
, and about the way the merger with the Bears was executed, the Premiers for 1996, North Melbourne
, recruited a number of former Fitzroy players, including Pike, in the 1996 draft. He had a solid year in 1997: North finished third and South Australia picked him their 1998 State of Origin squad in the following year. His work off the halfback line and on the wings generated many opportunities for the team's forwards. Pike was a member of the North Melbourne Grand Final team that lost to the Adelaide Football Club in 1998 after winning the minor premiership for that year. Martin Pike was a member of the Kangaroos' premiership winning team in 1999, fulfilling a lifelong ambition.
However, due to poor form in 2000, combined with discipline issues off the field (including a widely reported late arrival to a compulsory club function), the North Melbourne Football Club delisted him.
in an interview, although Pike's reputation was poor enough for Matthews to consult his leading players before committing to the wayward footballer. Pike quickly proved himself at his fourth club, playing 22 games as the club won its first premiership in 2001. Now with family commitments, Pike was a reformed character, with increased professionalism and none of the poor off-field behaviour that had marred his career at his previous clubs.
The Brisbane Lions won their second successive premiership in 2002, with Pike playing a wide variety of roles. He again played a key role in many of the games won in 2003, including kicking three goals in the final quarter of the preliminary final against the Sydney Swans
to get the team into its third successive winning grand final.
The Lions reached their fourth successive grand final in 2004, they lost to Port Adelaide in the grand final. Pike was disappointed with his performance in that match, and was reportedly involved in an altercation with a club official in the early hours of the morning on return to Brisbane
, the only display of the behaviour which caused him problems before signing with the Lions. Despite resulting speculation that his contract would not be renewed he accepted a one-year contract for 2005. However Pike's season was heavily disrupted by injury and he was unable to add more than a handful of games to his career tally before announcing his retirement on 2 August 2005 with four matches remaining in the regular season.
in the rural Victorian Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League announced that Pike had accepted an offer to coach the club for the upcoming season. He made an appearance in the 2006 AFL Legends Match. He continued as senior coach of the Hastings Football Club in 2007. He was the coach of VFL reserve side, Northern Bullants for the 2009 season. In 2010 Martin was appointed to the position of Senior Coach of the Power House Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
player who played with four clubs during 13 seasons. Highlights of his career included a premiership with the Kangaroos
Kangaroos Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, three more with Brisbane
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
, the final best-and-fairest winner with Fitzroy
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
in 1996, and selection in the 1998 South Australian state-of-origin side.
Early career
The Melbourne Football ClubMelbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
picked Pike with their first choice (ninth overall) in the 1992 national draft. He played 8 games at centre half-back
Centre half-back
In Australian rules football, the centre half-back refers to a position in the half-back line of a football field.Centre half back is considered a key position in defence. Examples of centre half-backs include Glen Jakovich, Darren Mead, Tom Harley and Chris Tarrant....
in his first year in 1993. However, an injury in the earlier part of the season persuaded coach Neil Balme
Neil Balme
Neil Allen Balme is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1969 and 1979 for the Richmond Football Club.-Playing career:...
to move him to the forward line. Pike played in three finals in 1994.
Despite his strong on-field performance, Melbourne traded Pike to the Fitzroy Football Club
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
at the end of 1994 due to his off-field problems with alcohol.
After playing 14 games in 1995, Pike played all 22 games in 1996 winning the club's best-and-fairest award, beating later Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
captain Mathew Primus for the honour. However, ongoing financial difficulties led to Fitzroy merging with the then Brisbane Bears
Brisbane Bears
The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995...
to form the Brisbane Lions. Pike was not selected as one of the eight Fitzroy players to move north to Brisbane at the end of 1996, largely due to his poor off-field reputation.
North Melbourne 1997–2000
Hoping in part to capitalise in part on the bad feeling many Victorian based FitzroyFitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
supporters had about the failed merger with the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, and about the way the merger with the Bears was executed, the Premiers for 1996, North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
, recruited a number of former Fitzroy players, including Pike, in the 1996 draft. He had a solid year in 1997: North finished third and South Australia picked him their 1998 State of Origin squad in the following year. His work off the halfback line and on the wings generated many opportunities for the team's forwards. Pike was a member of the North Melbourne Grand Final team that lost to the Adelaide Football Club in 1998 after winning the minor premiership for that year. Martin Pike was a member of the Kangaroos' premiership winning team in 1999, fulfilling a lifelong ambition.
However, due to poor form in 2000, combined with discipline issues off the field (including a widely reported late arrival to a compulsory club function), the North Melbourne Football Club delisted him.
Brisbane Lions 2001–2005
The Brisbane Lions recruited Pike in the 2000 draft after impressing coach Leigh MatthewsLeigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
in an interview, although Pike's reputation was poor enough for Matthews to consult his leading players before committing to the wayward footballer. Pike quickly proved himself at his fourth club, playing 22 games as the club won its first premiership in 2001. Now with family commitments, Pike was a reformed character, with increased professionalism and none of the poor off-field behaviour that had marred his career at his previous clubs.
The Brisbane Lions won their second successive premiership in 2002, with Pike playing a wide variety of roles. He again played a key role in many of the games won in 2003, including kicking three goals in the final quarter of the preliminary final against the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
to get the team into its third successive winning grand final.
The Lions reached their fourth successive grand final in 2004, they lost to Port Adelaide in the grand final. Pike was disappointed with his performance in that match, and was reportedly involved in an altercation with a club official in the early hours of the morning on return to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the only display of the behaviour which caused him problems before signing with the Lions. Despite resulting speculation that his contract would not be renewed he accepted a one-year contract for 2005. However Pike's season was heavily disrupted by injury and he was unable to add more than a handful of games to his career tally before announcing his retirement on 2 August 2005 with four matches remaining in the regular season.
After retirement
In February 2006, the Hastings Football ClubHastings Football Club
The Hastings Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League...
in the rural Victorian Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League announced that Pike had accepted an offer to coach the club for the upcoming season. He made an appearance in the 2006 AFL Legends Match. He continued as senior coach of the Hastings Football Club in 2007. He was the coach of VFL reserve side, Northern Bullants for the 2009 season. In 2010 Martin was appointed to the position of Senior Coach of the Power House Football Club in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.