Mike Pyke facts for kids
Michael Pyke (born 24 March 1984) is a retired Canadian athlete. He played two different types of football professionally. First, he was a rugby union player, and then he became an Australian rules footballer for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Pyke made history as the first Canadian and the first former rugby player to win an AFL championship. He was part of the Sydney Swans team that won the 2012 premiership. Before playing Australian rules football, Pyke was a professional rugby union player. He played for the French team US Montauban and represented the Canadian national team. Pyke was known for his calm way of celebrating his achievements.
Contents
Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Pyke was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. His parents are Christine Peterson and Richard Pyke.
From Basketball to Rugby
Pyke first played basketball and soccer at St. Michaels University School in British Columbia. This school has produced many Canadian national rugby players, including NBA star Steve Nash. Later, Pyke was encouraged to focus on rugby.
Amateur Rugby Career
As a young rugby player, Pyke was part of several teams in Victoria, British Columbia. These included the Pacific Sport rugby academy, where he scored 210 points in 2003–2004. He also played for the University of Victoria, the Castaway Wanderers, and the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide.
Professional Rugby Career
| Date of birth | 24 March 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (16 st 5 lb; 229 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pyke started his professional rugby journey with the Edinburgh Gunners in 2004. That same year, at age 20, he played his first international game for Canada against Japan.
Playing in France
In November 2006, Pyke joined US Montauban, a French rugby team. He played alongside his Canadian teammate Ryan Smith there. By August 2007, he had played 17 games for the Canadian national team, scoring 30 points.
Famous Rugby Moment
Pyke became well-known in 2007 for an amazing play against the New Zealand All Blacks. He intercepted a pass from star player Dan Carter and ran the entire length of the field to score a try. As a rugby player, Pyke usually played on the wing or at fullback. He could also play many other positions in the backline.
Switching to Australian Rules Football
Injuries while playing for US Montauban made Pyke consider a new career. His friend, Matt Woodland, suggested he try Australian Rules Football. Woodland believed Pyke had the right skills for the sport.
Getting Noticed by the Swans
Pyke created a DVD of his rugby highlights. Woodland sent it to Michael Quinlan, an AFL player agent. Quinlan was impressed and talked to Pyke. He then contacted the Sydney Swans, a team known for finding unique players.
The Swans offered Pyke a contract after seeing his skills. On August 13, 2008, Pyke officially signed with the team. The Swans used a new draft rule that allowed talented athletes from other sports to join the AFL. Pyke became the first international athlete from a non-Irish sport to be drafted into the VFL/AFL.
Pyke thought his background in basketball and rugby would help him adapt to Australian rules football. Standing 200 cm tall and weighing 105 kg, he saw himself playing as a ruckman or a defender. The Swans picked Pyke as their 57th choice in the rookie draft.
Australian Rules Football Career
| Mike Pyke | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
|||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Michael Anthony Patrick Pyke | ||
| Date of birth | 24 March 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Position(s) | Ruckman | ||
| Career highlights | |||
|
|||
Pyke had a strong start in his first NAB Cup game against Port Adelaide. He performed well against experienced ruckmen, making him a favorite for a key role. Many thought he would play as the second ruckman, supporting Darren Jolly, in the Swans' first game against St Kilda.
Early Challenges and Debut
Despite his good debut, some AFL commentators criticized Pyke's move. Brian Taylor, for example, called the experiment a "joke" in 2009. Pyke was added to the senior list before the first round, but he was an emergency player. Jesse White took the second ruck spot. In the next few rounds, Pyke played for the Swans' reserve team. After a great game with 20 possessions and strong marks, the club considered his AFL debut soon.
Pyke finally played his first AFL premiership game in Round 6 against the Richmond Tigers. In 50 minutes, he had 4 handballs, 1 mark, 1 tackle, and 11 hit-outs. While not spectacular, his performance showed enough promise for him to be a backup ruckman for the Swans. In Round 14, 2010, Pyke scored his first senior goal, also against Richmond.
Developing into a Key Player
In August 2010, Pyke signed a new two-year contract with the Sydney Swans. Swans' coach Paul Roos praised Pyke's progress. Roos said, "If someone came to their first game this year, you'd have to point out that this is a Canadian rugby player now playing AFL football. That's the biggest compliment you can give Pykey."
Pyke's success was further recognized at the 2010 Sydney Swans Club Champion presentation. He received the Dennis Carroll Trophy for Most Improved Player. In the 2011 season, Pyke played only two games due to a quad muscle injury. This kept him out for the rest of the season.
Winning the Grand Final
After missing the first round of the 2012 season, Pyke injured his knee playing in the reserves. He returned in Round 8, 2012, to a Sydney Swans team that would go on to win the Grand Final. The Swans added his blog, "Open Pyke," to their website in June 2012. His goal against the West Coast Eagles was named the SwansTV Play of the Day for Round 16. In Round 21, Pyke scored a career-high three goals against the Western Bulldogs.
On September 29, 2012, the Sydney Swans won the 2012 Grand Final. Pyke became the first Canadian to play in an AFL premiership-winning team. When coach John Longmire took out primary ruckman Shane Mumford due to a hamstring injury, Pyke handled the ruck duties alone. He played a crucial role in the Swans' victory. He had 16 disposals, a career high, and three contested marks.
Continued Success and Retirement
The Swans signed Pyke to another two-year contract in 2012. He played in all 25 games during the Swans' 2013 season. He took 52 contested marks, more than almost any other player. He was also the Swans' fourth-leading goal kicker with 28 goals. Former Sydney coach Paul Roos even suggested Pyke could be part of the 2013 All-Australian team. This was his best season.
Pre-season surgery and a hamstring injury affected Pyke in the 2014 season. He played in 19 games, including the Swans' three finals matches. He had a career-best 53 hit-outs in Round 17 against Carlton. His best game was arguably in Round 19 against Essendon, with 49 hit-outs, three contested marks, six tackles, and a goal. On September 23, 2014, it was announced that Pyke had signed another contract to stay with the Swans until the end of 2016.
In the first half of the 2015 season, Pyke averaged 33 hit-outs per game. However, knee problems caused his performance to drop. He missed four games and averaged fewer than 18 hit-outs per game in the second half of the season and finals. The Swans described his season as "below par but serviceable."
On September 15, 2015, Pyke received the AFL Players Association's Education and Training Excellence Award. This was for his dedication to his Master's degree in Commerce (Finance) from the University of Sydney.
On October 16, 2015, Pyke announced his retirement from the AFL. He posted a photo on Twitter of his boots hanging in his locker. He explained his decision, saying, "I got to the point where I didn't think I had any more improvement left in me. That's when you know to step aside and let the younger players come through."
Statistics Summary
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles | H/O | Hit-outs |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | ||||
| 2009 | Sydney | 38 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 39 | 47 | 3 | 12 | 98 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 12.3 |
| 2010 | Sydney | 38 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 49 | 86 | 135 | 43 | 55 | 292 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 16.2 |
| 2011 | Sydney | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 27 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 13.5 |
| 2012 | Sydney | 38 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 70 | 112 | 182 | 59 | 48 | 384 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 10.1 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 21.3 |
| 2013 | Sydney | 38 | 25 | 28 | 8 | 123 | 153 | 276 | 89 | 53 | 546 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 11.0 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 21.8 |
| 2014 | Sydney | 38 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 88 | 93 | 181 | 42 | 45 | 525 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 9.5 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 27.6 |
| 2015 | Sydney | 38 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 60 | 104 | 164 | 39 | 49 | 519 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 26.0 |
| Career | 110 | 48 | 29 | 406 | 594 | 1000 | 279 | 268 | 2391 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 9.1 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 21.7 | ||
Life After Football
Pyke is married to Florencia Bonet. They welcomed their first child in March 2013.
On January 26, 2014, Australia Day, Pyke became an Australian citizen. In 2015, he earned a Master's degree in Commerce (Finance) from the University of Sydney.
After retiring from the AFL, Pyke began working for an investment bank called Moelis & Company. He joked about his new job, saying it wasn't as stressful as the start of a football game with a large opponent charging at him.
