Opinion Empathy for Pykey regarding injuries

[John Who]

I feel sorry for Pyke, I really do. He is stuck in no-man's land at the moment.

On the one hand, he's got to keep an eye on our increasing injury toll. Having to constantly get feedback from the physios/docs/fitness staff on where the players are at with the injury/recovery/awareness status. Meanwhile, Pyke has to make do with what he's got left - a list of half a team of fit "regulars", one quarter of semi-fit "regulars", and one quarter of newly-tested/fringe talent!

And on the other hand, during a match, he has to push his players to the limit. Needing to stir the team psychologically in a way that they're ready for a hard-fought battle, and making sure the players are prepared to be playing at their smartest, attacking at their bravest, and running at their hardest.

Unfortunately, with the precautionary side of limiting injuries, Pyke is perhaps going to be hesitant in pushing the players over the edge, in probable fear of receiving more injuries to the injury list. In other words, Pyke is in a state of no-win situation:
- push players to the limit, increases the chance of more injuries
- worry about the injuries and trying to limit this dilemma, then he can't push players the way he has been in previous years

What should Pyke do? Do you have empathy for Pyke?

 

[relapse]

Yeah I do have empathy for him

Pyke got us to a GF last year so for me he definitely has plenty of credits in the bank.

Personally I think the blame for this year sits squarely on the chin of Burton and Hass, Pyke can only work with what he's got and at the moment it's not much.

 

[Mike Smyth]

I have empathy for Pyke regarding culture. He must look at Haas, Burton and co and think *how did I end up with these smucks*

 

[Plugger46]

I have moderate empathy while I understand injuries are a factor a good coach never loses by 90 points no matter the caddle

 

[John Who]

I have moderate empathy while I understand injuries are a factor a good coach never loses by 90 points no matter the caddle

Perhaps a valid point. Though, I'm sure we had some hefty losses under Blight in 97/98 years..?

 

[Scorpus]

I think it must be incredibly hard to coach when you have two things going against you

1) 4-5 of your best 12 players are injured with preventable soft tissue injuries

2) Players refusing to put in the required effort some of the time and seemingly at random

 

[Bicks]

I have moderate empathy while I understand injuries are a factor a good coach never loses by 90 points no matter the caddle

It happens
Alistair Clarkson??

117 point loss to the Paer?
96 point loss to the Paer?
88 point loss to the Dogs?

 

[Plugger46]

Perhaps a valid point. Though, I'm sure we had some hefty losses under Blight in 97/98 years..?

56 and 43 were our two biggest loses in 1997 and 1998 67 and 48 and after those two we either won or lost by only 3-4 goals and I'd say our list in 98 was by far worse than the one we had in 97.

 

[Simmo28]

I have moderate empathy while I understand injuries are a factor a good coach never loses by 90 points no matter the caddle

Clarkson 2005
https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2005/101320050617.html





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[subaru]

I think he’s been amazingly measured in his responses to the media

You simply cannot have the players missing that we have and expect 3 players with 10 games between them to fill the gaps.

He hasn’t got the cattle at the moment

 

[PasswordisTaco]

Yeah I do have empathy for him

Pyke got us to a GF last year so for me he definitely has plenty of credits in the bank.

Personally I think the blame for this year sits squarely on the chin of Burton and Hass, Pyke can only work with what he's got and at the moment it's not much.

Hass and Burtons fitness regime is looking to be a shit show no doubt, but no blame sits on the playing group who came back from the christmas break unfit and unprepared?

 

[Slippery Pete]

Pyke can definitely coach a well-oiled system. His record so far proves that. There are soccer nations around the world who go very far with this.

But the worst thing a coach can make his team is predictable. When it comes to winning titles, you need more than just a system, you need the ability to think laterally and on the fly. You also need to know, and accept, that you can’t, and won’t, win every game on system alone. Great coaches always have a Machiavellian touch.

Damien Hardwick, for all his flaws, made his team the biggest bunch of pricks last year. And they won a GF against an outfit with a better system.

Does Pyke have this quality? The jury is still out.

On the Machiavellian thing... this quality also enables you to stamp the cards of clowns within your organization. If Pyke doesn’t do this soon, he will go down with them.

Be ruthless, Don. It’s your **** on the block.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

I just looked at the shots of the coaching group in the box during the game. They all looked like deer in the headlights. No discussions, no panic, no nothing.

 

[SaltPeter]

Hass and Burtons fitness regime is looking to be a shit show no doubt, but no blame sits on the playing group who came back from the christmas break unfit and unprepared?

Pretty sure it was the end of season break.

Interesting that Jarmin mentioned on MMM a couple of times that he'd seen B.Crouch running along the river and that he looked in great shape during the off season period

 

[Murray2503]

I don't have empathy for don having to deal with injuries as every coach has to deal with it. What i do have empathy for him about is our recruitment strategies over the last 5 years. They have seriously been exposed by injuries and the fact that match comittee effectively backed in the same 25 players regardless of form the last 2 seasons which has led to not knowing what a dear, o'brien etc are capable of. We also paid well and truly overs for gibbs which has proven to be a bad decision. As i said at the time, if he was 22 fine, but his best was well and truly behind him.

 

[GameofSloanes]

I have moderate empathy while I understand injuries are a factor a good coach never loses by 90 points no matter the caddle

All coaches have these losses from time to time. The test for Pyke will be how we respond this week. If there is nothing then that is on him

 

[GameofSloanes]

I don't have empathy for don having to deal with injuries as every coach has to deal with it. What i do have empathy for him about is our recruitment strategies over the last 5 years. They have seriously been exposed by injuries and the fact that match comittee effectively backed in the same 25 players regardless of form the last 2 seasons has also lead to not knowing what a dear, o'brien etc are capable of. We also paid well and truly overs for gibbs which has proven to be a bad decision. As i said at the time, if he was 22 fine, but his best was well and truly behind him.

Any team that is missing up to 9 of their best 22 will struggle. Not all coaches have to deal with that. Personally i think we have done well to even be in the 8 with the injuries we've had.
Still doesn't excuse the non effort on the weekend.

 

[Murray2503]

I just looked at the shots of the coaching group in the box during the game. They all looked like deer in the headlights. No discussions, no panic, no nothing.

They are useless but there is nothing they could have done tbh especially if a team doesn't want for the contest. They should have been discussing who is not part of the future and what players they could try moving forward. Every club has to make hard decisions, we just seem reluctant to want to make them. If we dont make changes in that coaches box (yes you campo and clarke for starters) and football operations ( yes you birdbrain) end of year then this will demonstrate a club content with mediocrity imo. We should be going after a blake caracella type with a succession plan of replacing pyke at some stage, hopefully sooner than later.

 

[FR0GGY]

Some empathy but mainly awareness.

 

[1990crow]

Some empathy but the players we had our doesn’t result in a 91 point demolition.
Collingwood 18, Melbourne 18, North 17, Tigers 17 GF etc the group has failed to turn up and at the end of the day that’s the coaches responsibility to ensure players come ready to play consistent football. Most sides you know what level they’re going to bring for the day it’s up to you to be better for longer.
Adelaide even after this long we still have zero confidence they will even rock up with any intensity and that’s a major issue.

 

[jenny61_99]

I think he’s been amazingly measured in his responses to the media

You simply cannot have the players missing that we have and expect 3 players with 10 games between them to fill the gaps.

He hasn’t got the cattle at the moment

I think the Pyke we see on cameras is vastly different to the one that is seen behind closed doors.

 

[jenny61_99]

You take the quality of players that we have been missing out of ANY club, and there would be similar issues.

 

[FR0GGY]

You take the quality of players that we have been missing out of ANY club, and there would be similar issues.

Effort issues?

 

[jenny61_99]

Effort issues?

No... that's an unfortunate ongoing issue for us. But effort MAY be affected by the constant loss of top 22 players (jesus.. how are we going to win this?). It's all between the ears.

 

[hey shorty]

When you don't have 30-40% of your best employees available to you on a regular basis, you won't get results - simple.

He doesn't control fitness regimes, he is being hamstrung (lel) by some of his own staff. I reckon the staredown at 3/4 time wasn't just due to the effort of our players, but the whole year coming to a head.

I don't buy for a second that he is inflexible and too rigid, it's clear they are trying things but reality is that my first point stands.