World Footy News

This Saturday's AFL Grand Final will feature a team that has "flown under the radar" for almost all of the season with a player that also befits that description despite having a remarkable story to tell, the story of Mike Pyke and the Sydney Swans.

28 years ago Michael Pyke was born in Victoria, B.C. Canada.  He played basketball, soccer and ice hockey before moving onto rugby where he played for the Canadian national side and a top French side.  Pyke achieved international fame in 2007 for running the length of the field and scoring an intercept try against the New Zealand All Blacks in a RUWC game.

However, injuries prompted Pyke to look for a career change. "In Canada, everyone knows what Aussie rules is but they don't know much about it," Pyke later would say. Together with a friend, Matt Woodland, Pyke put together a DVD showcasing his rugby highlights which Woodland then sent onto AFL player agent Michael Quinlan.  Quinlan, convinced of the possibilities, began dialogue with the Sydney Swan's Stewart Maxfield, as the Swans were known for their success with international premiership player Tadhg Kennelly and their use of “sabermetrics” (Moneyball).
 

Pyke believed his basketball and rugby background would help him adapt to Australian Football. With his 200 cm height and 105 kg weight he saw himself playing as a ruckman and/or defender. And so did the Swans.  Pyke was selected by the Swans as a round 4 (57th) pick in the rookie draft and added to the team's list in late 2008. The Swans utilised a new draft rule that provided a pathway for players outside of Australia to a career in AFL and Pyke became the first international sportsperson in VFL/AFL history drafted other than an Irishman.

The Sydney Swans saw this signing as a positive move but many did not.  Prominent AFL player manager Ricky Nixon commented publicly that he thought the Swans were "wasting their time" with Pyke.  Much later, Pyke was described by commentator and ex-player Brian Taylor as the worst player in the AFL competition.

Pyke made an impressive debut in the 2009 NAB Cup match against Port Adelaide, but he had to wait until Round 6 of the AFL season proper to run out against Richmond. While his debut wasn't sensational, he showed enough to be considered as a back-up ruckman for the Swans and played a total of 8 games in that season.  In 2010, Round 14, Pyke managed his first AFL goal and finished the year with 18 games and 3 goals - an effort that was rewarded with a 2 year contract with the Sydney Swans.  Swans coach Paul Roos praised Pyke, saying he has developed into a genuine AFL ruckman and stated, “This year, if someone came to their first game, you'd have to point out that this is a Canadian rugby player now playing AFL football, and that's the biggest compliment you can give Pykey.’’ At season’s end, Pyke was awarded the "Dennis Carroll Trophy for Most Improved Player".

In the 2011 season Pyke played only two games for two goals before an ongoing quad muscle injury kept him off the senior side for the rest of the season and for many people that seemed the end of the story.

Pyke made his AFL return in Round 8, 2012, and continued for 17 games scoring 8 goals, playing his part in the Sydney Swans Grand Final campaign. Going into the Finals the 28 year old  gained confidence and recognition with every game. His goal against the West Coast Eagles was featured as the Swan’s TV Play of the Day for Round 16. This Saturday Mike Pyke will run onto the field ironically wearing the colours of his homeland for the all important last game of the premiership season. His story to now will only be overshadowed by the story of the Sydney Swans and how their players performed in the AFL Grand Final.

Images courtesy AFL Media.