MIke Pyke The Greatest Canadian Footballer of all time

[gazza]

pyke surely in best 3 last night a huge effort.swans are so lucky to have 2 great ruckmen who work so hard.no other team has this luxury

[707]

Not just the hit outs, many t advantage but 8 tackles for a ruckman, that's Mumford like!

Pyke has developed so quickly that we could just have the best rucks in the AFL, on form, even right now. Seaby no longer a walk up starter any more in my opinion.

[Red]

Hug from me. Barely looked like he was blowing. That was a lot of stamina on show, and oh I love the way he tackles. Pick them Up, and Lie Them Down. Considering his size, its amazing you don't see thumps. And his tap rucking is just soooo Steve Taubert. Its a fun ride for us isn't it. And I do hope they are following him in Canada. He deserves some kudos in his home country.

Make that a bear hug

Awesome game. Sublime taps to advantage, drifted forward to worry opposition defence, took contested marks in F50. Only downside is kicking, though I seem to remember a pretty good inside 50 that Goodes nearly hung on to.

But his tackling is astonishing. A couple of times he managed to wrap up players running fill-tilt, and bring them down legally. Speaking from experience, that is no mean feat for a Union convert.

He's starting to read the game like a book. I can't believe how good he's gotten, so quickly.

[Rod_]

I thought that the Swans had lost their marbles when they trailed a Canadian Rugby Player, then I was sure of it when they gave him a place in the team..

I had always thunk that AFL footballers play AFL at an early age and then if good enough get selected to the big league.

Mike Pike is going really good and now conceded that top tier Athletes can make it. Give a full go, quality is quality. Well done and Mike deserves his place. Great to be proven wrong in this instance.

Go well Mike I am a full fan now! Well done

Rod_

[Bas]

Getting better each game. As he is here with his partner, I want to see 100 games and six sons.

I was a fan from day 1 and will be a Premiership player before he retires.

[BSA5]

Getting better each game. As he is here with his partner, I want to see 100 games and six sons.

Definitely! Can you imagine that sort of athletic potential raised on Aussie Rules?

[swansrob]

And I do hope they are following him in Canada. He deserves some kudos in his home country.

I had a Canadian couple living with me in June and I asked the guy (a rugby fan) if he knew of Pyke. He had no idea who I was talking about until I mentioned the famous try - he knew the 'interception try', as it's known; had no idea he was now playing AFL.

[Primmy]

I had a Canadian couple living with me in June and I asked the guy (a rugby fan) if he knew of Pyke. He had no idea who I was talking about until I mentioned the famous try - he knew the 'interception try', as it's known; had no idea he was now playing AFL.

That's kind of sad! Larissa??? Can we get a Swans article written and sent off to tabloids in Canada on his behalf? Or something appropriate. A couple of games ago the commentators mentioned that Mrs Pyke tried to watch him play on tv and had the wrong code! Now, I ask you! Anything we can do?

[Clammers]

Been watching Mike Pyke since his first AFL outing at Manuka last year. Great improvement is good to see. I think he comes in under the radar partly because he looks lost on the field (expression 'stunned mullet' comes to mind). Belies this impression though by improving ability to be in the right place at the right time (as this week when he seemed to move in seconds from goal line to centre bounce). Looks like he lumbers but anyone who saw the famous try on You Tube would suspect the guy has some toe. Kicking style needs work as people have said; seems to collapse at the knees and comes in under the ball too much. Such a shame his reflex kick off the ground a few weeks ago was ruled out. Would have been a You Tube moment to rival the try. All in all, a great Australian sporting story. He's not Jim Stynes (yet) but he's already a legend. BTW, the last Aussie Rules match I saw in Melbourne was Fitzroy vs Melbourne in 1963 at the old Fitzroy Ground. Octagonal shape as I recall and about as wide as it was long; Swans would have loved it.

[neilfws]

We don't hear from the man himself much (but that will change) - here he is on Swans TV talking about the final. Seems really excited to be there - top bloke.

[gossipcom]

Canadian accent. Nice to hear from Pyke, stepped up in leaps and bounds this year.