How Don Pyke responded to a ‘loaded question’ regarding the rebuild of the Eagles
Every Tuesday, chief football correspondent for AFL.com.au Damian Barrett will write an exclusive column addressing the biggest names and problems in football. Barrett chats with Don Pyke, the recently hired West Coast CEO, in his inaugural column for 2024.
In the national Australian football competition, West Coast had set the standard both on and off the field for the first 35 of its 37 years of existence.
Periodically winning premierships, yearly financial reports rivals could only imagine, a waiting list that attracted tens of thousands of members, membership caps, unmatched corporate support, and an unparalleled sense of pride – bordering on smugness – from defeating every team east of Western Australia are all attributes of this club.
All of it had culminated in the most valuable asset for an AFL team: respect.
But somewhere along the line over the last two seasons—the Eagles finished 36th and 37th in the AFL system—respect was lost, both within and outside the team. Only five of 45 games were won, and the team’s legacy of grit and unwavering belief vanished into self-pity.
Four weeks into his new position after being headhunted to fix the Eagles late in the previous season, Pyke told AFL.com.au that every employee at the team was essentially working around the clock to improve operations.
When asked about his opinions of the mayhem in 2022 and 2023, Pyke was direct:
When asked what he thought about the devastation of 2022 and 2023, Pyke was direct: “That is not for me to judge, you and others can judge that. I’ve simply come into the club wanting to do better and there is a bit of urgency, a now, to get after this.” “Everyone is disappointed, but there is an awareness that we don’t just assume we are going to bounce back. We have historically, and that is one of the great traits of this footy club, and that is a credit to Trevor (Nisbett) and others.
“And right now, that is the chance. And I find it exciting, and I know Adam (Simpson) finds it exciting to return to that. But we must take action. We must act swiftly as I don’t want to be paddling around hoping it will happen on its own. It won’t occur by itself. That is the opportunity, and you have to seize it.”
The Eagles dropped to 17th in 2022 and 18th in 2023 for a variety of reasons. The aging list, injuries that prevented players from playing, complacency, and an infrequent “waving of the white flag” mentality in all areas of operations contributed to a run of match results that were embarrassingly similar to Fitzroy in 1996, the year in which
West Coast’s decline began in late 2021, after they had dropped their previous four games despite being in a strong playoff position. After that, it won just two games in 2022 and three the previous year. Five games over a 12-week period ended in losses of 100 points or more, including back-to-back defeats of Adelaide by 122 points and Sydney by 171 points.
Simpson will begin his eleventh season as coach in 2024 after surviving a board-commissioned review, and he has a contract in place through 2025. Naturally, Pyke became defensive when asked if he would back Simpson’s agreement.
“I am not going to answer that question, it is a loaded question,” he replied. It is about making improvements; Adam and I will talk about it, and then it’s time to get to work.
“He is an amazing coach who leads our team to a premiership; he knows the players and has the chance to carry on doing what he does. Until we decide differently, we will support him.”
“At this point, let’s get the season going and get off to a strong start because that is crucial and our group is capable of playing better than we did the previous year.
“Some people look at it as a massive challenge, I look at it as an opportunity to own that space as in how we want to play and give our young men an opportunity to express themselves and play footy.”
The Eagles’ dominance began with a Grand Final appearance in their fifth season of the AFL in 1991, and continued with Grand Final victories in years six and eight. Since then, the team’s seasons have been marked by peaks and valleys.
