Mike Pyke facts for kids
Michael Pyke (born on March 24, 1984) is a retired Canadian athlete. He played two different kinds of football professionally: rugby union and Australian rules football. He became a professional Australian rules footballer with 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 quiet way of celebrating his achievements.
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Mike Pyke's Early Life and Sports
Pyke was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. His parents are Christine Peterson and Richard Pyke.
When he was young, Pyke first played basketball and soccer at St. Michaels University School. This school has produced many Canadian national rugby players, including NBA star Steve Nash. Later, Mike decided to focus on rugby.
As a young rugby player, he was part of several teams in Victoria, British Columbia. He played for the Pacific Sport rugby academy, where he scored 210 points in one season (2003–2004). He also played for the University of Victoria, the Castaway Wanderers, and the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide.
Rugby Star: Playing for Canada
| Date of birth | 24 March 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pyke started his professional rugby career with the Edinburgh Gunners in 2004. That same year, at age 20, he played his first international game for Canada against Japan.
In November 2006, he joined US Montauban, a team in France. He played there alongside another Canadian teammate, Ryan Smith. By August 2007, he had played 17 games for the Canadian national team and scored 30 points.
Famous Rugby Moment: The Intercept Try
Pyke became well-known in 2007 for an amazing play. He ran the entire length of the field and scored a try against the New Zealand All Blacks. He did this by intercepting a pass from famous player Dan Carter.
As a rugby player, Pyke usually played on the wing or at fullback. These positions are typically at the back of the field. However, he was also able to play many other positions in the backline.
Switching Sports: From Rugby to AFL
After getting injured while playing for US Montauban, Pyke started thinking about a different career. A friend, Matt Woodland, suggested that Pyke had the right skills for Australian Rules Football. This friend helped Pyke put together a video of his rugby highlights.
Joining the Sydney Swans
Matt Woodland sent Pyke's video to Michael Quinlan, a player agent for the AFL. Quinlan was very impressed and talked to Pyke several times. He then started discussions with the Sydney Swans, a team known for finding players in unusual ways.
After seeing Pyke's skills, the Sydney Swans offered him a contract. On August 13, 2008, Pyke officially signed with the team. The Swans used a new 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 believed his background in basketball and rugby would help him learn Australian rules football. He was 200 cm (about 6 feet 7 inches) tall and weighed 105 kg (about 231 pounds). He thought he would play as a ruckman or a defender. The Swans picked Pyke as their 57th choice in the rookie draft.
Mike Pyke's AFL Journey
| Mike Pyke | |||
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| 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 | |||
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First Steps in the AFL
Pyke made a strong first impression in a practice game against Port Adelaide. His performance as a ruckman made many think he would play a key role for the Swans.
However, some people didn't think he would succeed in the AFL. One commentator even called his move to AFL a "joke" in 2009. Despite this, Pyke kept working hard. He played well in the Swans' reserves team, showing he could get the ball and score goals.
Pyke finally got to play his first official AFL game in Round 6 against the Richmond Tigers. He played for 50 minutes, getting the ball, making tackles, and winning hit-outs (when a ruckman taps the ball down from a bounce or throw-in). While it wasn't a huge debut, he showed enough skill to be a useful back-up ruckman. In Round 14 of 2010, Pyke scored his first senior goal, also against Richmond.
In August 2010, the Swans gave Pyke a new two-year contract. The Swans' coach, Paul Roos, praised Pyke, saying he had become a true AFL ruckman. Roos said the biggest compliment was that you wouldn't know he was a former Canadian rugby player if you saw him play.
Pyke's success was further recognized at the 2010 Sydney Swans Club Champion awards. He won the Dennis Carroll Trophy for Most Improved Player.
In 2011, Pyke only played two games because of a leg injury that kept him off the team for the rest of the season.
Becoming a Premiership Champion
After missing the first game of the 2012 season, Pyke got a knee injury while playing in the reserves. He returned to the team in Round 8, 2012. This was a special year, as the Sydney Swans were on their way to winning the Grand Final. The Swans even started a blog called "Open Pyke" on their website. His goal against the West Coast Eagles was chosen as the "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 Grand Final. This made Pyke the first Canadian to play in an AFL championship-winning team! During the game, when the main ruckman had to leave due to a sore leg muscle, Pyke took over all the ruck duties. He played a very important part in the Swans' win. He got the ball 16 times (a career high) and caught it three times even when opponents were trying to stop him.
The Swans signed Pyke to another two-year contract in 2012. He played in all 25 games for the Swans in the 2013 season. He caught the ball in contested situations 52 times, more than almost any other player. He was also the Swans' fourth-highest goal scorer with 28 goals. His success led his former coach, Paul Roos, to suggest he should be considered for the 2013 All-Australian team. This was his best season.
Later Seasons and Retirement
Before the 2014 season, Pyke had surgery and a hamstring injury that slowed him down. He played in 19 games, including the Swans' three final matches. He had a career-best 53 hit-outs in one game against Carlton. His best game was against Essendon, where he had 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 played well, averaging 33 hit-outs per game. However, knee problems caused his performance to drop. He missed four games and had fewer hit-outs in the second half of the season. The Swans described his season as "not his best, but still helpful."
On September 15, 2015, Pyke received the AFL Players Association's Education and Training Excellence Award. He earned this award for his strong commitment to his Master's degree in Commerce (Finance) from the University of Sydney and his career development.
On October 16, 2015, Pyke announced his retirement from the AFL in his usual quiet way. He posted a photo on Twitter of his boots hanging in his locker. He said he felt he couldn't improve anymore and knew it was time to step aside for younger players.
Statistics
| 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) | ||||||||||||||
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| 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 had their first child in March 2013.
Pyke became an Australian citizen on January 26, 2014, which is Australia Day. In 2015, he earned a Master's degree in Commerce (Finance) from the University of Sydney.
After retiring from the AFL, Pyke started working for an investment bank called Moelis & Company. He joked that his new job wasn't as stressful as the start of a football game with a big opponent running at him!
