Canadian Mike Pyke flies the red and white flag at the 2012 Toyota AFL Grand Final

October 5th, 2012

Mike Pyke will be wearing red and white this weekend, but it’s not for his native Canada - he will be playing for the Sydney Swans in the 2012 Toyota AFL Grand Final.
The Sydney Swans will take on the Hawthorn (from Melbourne) in the deciding match for 2012 at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The 28-year-old is set to become the first Canadian to play in a Grand Final as he lines up for his 46th AFL game.
Rugby union convert Pyke who is the number 38 for the Sydney Swans said his journey has been surreal.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Pyke told sydneyswans.com.au .
“Obviously four years ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of this, but now that it’s becoming a reality it’s exceptional.”
While Pyke made his AFL debut in 2009, the 201cm ruckman said only now is his homeland starting to take notice.
“I actually had my first media interview back home in about three years, so I think they are starting to take notice hopefully,” Pyke said.
“They don’t know much (about the game) in Canada.
“Obviously family and friends know a decent amount about it now, and one of the sports stations back at home has started to broadcast the games live, so I think all of our finals’ games have been live and the games before have been on TV as well, so I think they are learning more and more as the weeks go on.”
Pyke’s Canadian heritage will be well-represented at this Saturday’s AFL Grand Final with Pyke’s mother and in-laws set to attend the match.
“My mum had a big flight (earlier this week) and my mother-in-law has been here for a week now and my father-in-law is coming on Thursday, so they will all be there cheering me along – along with a pretty big contingent of Canadians at the MCG, which will be good,” he said.
“My mum has (watched me live) a few times and has come down here a fair bit, which has been nice for her.
Swans teammate Rhyce Shaw said what Pyke has been able to achieve in such little time since his 2009 AFL debut is inspirational.
“It’s unbelievable,” Shaw said.
“Along with a lot of us at Sydney, we go under the radar a little bit, but that effort of his to come from where he’s come from, I know he played maybe a year before I got up here in the two’s and now he’s second ruck in a Grand Final side.
“It’s astronomical what he’s been through and I just think it’s a great effort and people should really take confidence out of that, because you can do it if you stick at it and you’re persistent.
“Pyke has done that and he’s worked hard and it’s all paid off for him.”
Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy agreed with Shaw’s sentiments and said he expected Saturday’s Grand Final would be a very ‘special’ moment for Pyke.
“For everyone in this situation we know how hard it is to get here and for Mike it has probably been even harder,” he said.
“The hurdles he’s had to overcome and the people that he’s had to leave behind in Canada to try and achieve something special over here, he’s on the verge of it now. So it would be extremely special for him I would have thought.”
The Sydney Swans, whose home ground is the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), last won the AFL Grand Final in 2005 with a win over the West Coast Eagles.
Hawthorn last won the Premiership in 2008.
The Toyota AFL Grand Final is the biggest sporting event in Australia. More than 100,000 spectators are expected to attend. The match will be broadcast Live in Canada on TSN2 from 9pm Friday night (PST) Midnight Saturday morning (EST).