{"id":1422,"date":"2018-03-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/adelaide-ascending\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:42","slug":"adelaide-ascending","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/adelaide-ascending\/","title":{"rendered":"Adelaide Ascending"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- blocks\/hero-editorial -->\n<!-- inc\/hero-editorial -->\n<div class=\"hero es-hero__editorial hero--var-1\" role=\"banner\">\n\t<div class=\"hero__image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/don-pyke-lead.jpg);\">\n\n\t\t<div class=\"hero__overlay grad-overlay content-bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__content\">\n                    \n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__content__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <p class=\"es-label es-label--md\">\n                                Mar 19, 2018                            <\/p>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\" class=\"theme-dark hero__back-link back-link es-label es-label--sm\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon icon--md icon--arrow-left\"><\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"hero__title\">Adelaide Ascending<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n        \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <section class=\"es-section theme-light hero__sidebar-wrapper container\">\n        <div class=\"hero__sidebar\">\n                            <div class=\"category-list\">\n                  <div class=\"es-label es-label--sm\">Category<\/div>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/category\/coaching-development-performance\/\" rel=\"tag\">Coaching &amp; Development<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/category\/leadership-culture-performance\/\" rel=\"tag\">Leadership &amp; Culture<\/a>                <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"share-list\">\n                  <div class=\"es-label es-label--sm\">Share<\/div>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/adelaide-ascending\/\">Facebook<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/adelaide-ascending\/&#038;text=Adelaide Ascending\">Twitter<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Here's a Leaders In Sport article for you &amp;body=Check out this article: Adelaide Ascending. https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/adelaide-ascending\/\">Email<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"#copyLink\" id=\"copyButton\" class=\"copy-link-clipboard\">Copy Link<\/a>\n                  <div id=\"textToCopy\" class=\"font-hidden\">https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/adelaide-ascending\/<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n<!-- blocks\/section -->\n<section\n  class=\"es-section flexible-section  text-only theme-light\"\n    >\n                <div class=\"container\">\n                                    <div class=\"bg-striped-pattern__inner section-padding-top section-padding-bottom\">\n                <div class=\"es-section__inner col-parent col-parent--stack-sm\">\n                                            <div class=\"es-section__sidebar es-section__sidebar--sticky col col--12 \">\n                                                            <p class=\"es-section__label es-label es-label--md\">Don Pyke on cohesion and collaboration at the Adelaide Football Club.<\/p>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                            <div class=\"es-section__text content-area\">\n                                    <p><h4>\u201cThis is Pykey\u2019s team,\u201d said Taylor Walker. On the eve of the 2017 Grand Final in September, the Adelaide captain had been asked who had been the figure most responsible for leading the team to its first AFL decider in 19 years. There was no doubt in his voice as he named the football club\u2019s Senior Coach, Don Pyke. \u201cI have the utmost respect for Pykey. He has done an amazing job and hopefully tomorrow afternoon, Pykey and I are up there holding the cup.\u201d<\/h4>\n<p>Don Pyke spoke at our London Summit in 2017. Get into preparation mode and join us at this year&#8217;s Sport Performance Summit at Twickenham Stadium this 12-13 November to hear in-depth insight to challenge your thinking.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/leaders-events\/the-sport-performance-summit-london\/\"><button>Find out more &amp; join us there<\/button><\/a><\/p>\n<h6>By John Portch<\/h6>\n<p>It was not to be, as Adelaide lost to Richmond by 48 points the next afternoon, but there remains a sense of upward mobility to the Crows\u2019 progression under Pyke, who joined the club in 2015. \u201cOver the last couple of years I think the club has developed an inner strength and a resilience that I probably haven&#8217;t seen anywhere else,\u201d said Andrew Fagan, Adelaide\u2019s CEO, before the game.<\/p>\n<p>The management at West Lakes underlined their approval by handing Pyke a three-year contract extension in January. \u201cDon has achieved some terrific results in his first two seasons in charge and he is eager to continue to find more growth and improvement,\u201d said Fagan in a club press release. \u201cUnder his guidance the team has played a powerful and exciting brand of football which players and fans alike have enjoyed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think stability is an important part of achieving sustained success and to have Don on board for three more years is a great result for the club.\u201d Pyke was equally effusive: \u201cIt\u2019s an honour and a privilege to be able to coach at such a proud club like the Crows, and I am grateful to continue in my role. In the past two years at Adelaide I\u2019ve loved working with the players, coaches and football staff and look forward to growing some of the relationships that have been built.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a football team we\u2019ve laid some really good foundations but we continue to put in the hard work and strive to get better. Just like the playing group and everyone else at the Crows, I\u2019m driven and determined to achieve sustained success for this club.\u201d The announcement came shortly after <em>Performance<\/em> sat down with Pyke to discuss the relationships he has cultivated and the cohesion he seeks in the pursuit of success.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>\u2018A unique situation\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When Pyke\u2019s predecessor, Phil Walsh, died in tragic circumstances just 12 games into his tenure, Adelaide sought to build on his promising groundwork, bringing ever greater collaboration rather than further disruption. Pyke took the reins from interim coach Scott Camporeale, who subsequently reverted to his role as the senior assistant coach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was a unique situation because I inherited a playing group that had played in the finals and a coaching staff that had close personal relationships with the former coach,\u201d Pyke tells <em>Performance <\/em>of those early days. \u201cA lot of the coaching staff were in place when I took over the job because the club had, quite rightly, re-signed a lot of the assistant coaches and ensured a measure of stability,\u201d he continues. \u201cI was coming in as the last piece so it was important for me to go in and take a fairly collaborative view as I looked to get a feel for how they were coached.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walker\u2019s aforementioned endorsement flies in the face of any notion that Pyke\u2019s inclusive approach at West Lakes will gradually undermine his authority or risk diluting their message. \u201cWhen I started this job, I said to the players I exist to make them as good as they can be, both individually and collectively,\u201d he says, adding, \u201cthe cohesion we\u2019re looking for is the ability of our players to carry out our gameplan, in our style, and for our coaches to not only educate but engage with our players in that process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>\u201cThe cohesion we\u2019re looking for is the ability of our players to carry out our gameplan, in our style, and for our coaches to not only educate but engage with our players in that process.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018A tremendous football intellect\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the Adelaide senior coaching position came up midway through the 2015 season, Pyke quickly stood out as the prime candidate. \u201cDon has a worldly view and maturity which we thought would help our group who had faced some adversity like no other,\u201d reflected Fagan last year. \u201cHe brings a tremendous positivity and a calmness to the group; he\u2019s not an old man but he\u2019s packed a fair bit into his years in roles as a player and coach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pyke, a multitalented sportsman from a strong sporting family, enjoyed a 10-year playing career in Australian rules, including seven years and 132 games for the AFL\u2019s Perth-based West Coast Eagles. Injury forced his retirement in 1996 but within three years he returned as Head Coach of Western Australian Football League\u2019s Claremont, the club where he had spent his formative years as a player.<\/p>\n<p>His first association with Adelaide came between 2005 and 2006 when he worked as an assistant coach under Neil Craig. \u201cYou could see straight away that he knew what he was talking about and had a good way of communicating,\u201d Mark Ricciuto, the former Adelaide midfielder, told the <em>Herald Sun<\/em> of Pyke\u2019s first coaching stint at the club.<\/p>\n<p>There have also been times when Pyke has stepped away from the game to focus on his business interests, which only embellished his appeal to the Crows and Fagan. \u201cHe\u2019s had balance with what he\u2019s achieved outside of sport, so he can bring the quality of people management which is hard to find,\u201d observed Fagan. \u201cSo aside from tremendous football intellect he has great man-management skills and he\u2019s a competitive beast, he has an inner drive which is second to none in a desire to achieve success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Take perspective, find empathy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In man management terms, Pyke needs his coaches on board. If they are going to educate and engage their players then it is essential that they are all singing from the same hymn sheet. \u201cThe thing we pride ourselves on is that a player can go to any coach or our high performance team and the messaging will be the same,\u201d he explains to <em>Performance<\/em>. \u201cWe believe that amplification comes from that and so the players are receiving a clear message in terms of what is expected of them at our footy club.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In order to reach that point, Pyke first needed to get to know his colleagues, establish empathy, and gain a perspective of how they operated. \u201cIt was important to build those relationships and understand how they see the game and how I see the game. If we\u2019re going to build cohesion it\u2019s important that when we\u2019re in that coaching box in the middle of the game we\u2019re seeing the same thing and we\u2019re aware of what we\u2019re trying to achieve as a coaching group for our players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He recounts the tale of a video session early in his tenure: \u201cI said \u2018let\u2019s watch some footy\u2019 and we sat down at 9 o\u2019clock and when we broke for lunch at 12 o\u2019clock we\u2019d seen only six minutes. We\u2019d stopped and gone around the different scenarios and options; whether it was when we had the ball or they had the ball or if we were setting up at the stoppages. That was part of the process for them to collaborate and for me to understand what they saw; how they coached, as well as trying to build upon that to take us from where we were, which was a good side hoping to take the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>\u201cI will challenge my coaches; I\u2019ll tell them I want their opinion because I don\u2019t profess to have all the right opinions or ideas, but what I\u2019m after is \u2018why\u2019.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The discussions began that morning and Pyke\u2019s staff still feel comfortable enough to challenge his judgement. \u201cI get the final say as Head Coach but if I don\u2019t take on board their opinion then there\u2019s no point having them there. So \u201cI will challenge my coaches; I\u2019ll tell them I want their opinion because I don\u2019t profess to have all the right opinions or ideas, but what I\u2019m after is \u2018why\u2019.\u201d Come to me with some reasoning because if it\u2019s your gut versus mine then there\u2019s a fair chance I\u2019m going to back my gut, but if you can say \u2018this is what you need to do in this situation and this is why we need to do it\u2019 then that gives me some evidence to say \u2018OK, I\u2019ll back you\u2019. Often there is no single right answer; it\u2019s just coming through a collaborative process to work towards something that can be enacted and giving it a go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adelaide\u2019s coaches record their conversations in the coaching box on a game day so that they and Pyke can later review their discussions; but far from using it to apportion blame, the idea is to further their collective understanding and development. \u201cOur game goes on for two hours and there\u2019s probably thousands of mistakes but often you\u2019ll get wedded to the last mistake,\u201d he admits. \u201cIn this way they can review what recommendations were thrown out; what was discussed and how did it work. It becomes an effective way for coaches to assess what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the course of a season, Pyke will have had hundreds of formal and informal meetings, which go beyond establishing players\u2019 basic game readiness: \u201cOne thing we\u2019ve done and need to continue to do better is to check in on each other and find out how we\u2019re going as people. The unique nature of sport at this level is that it can be high stakes and high pressure; it\u2019s important that we keep each other healthy, both on the inside and the outside. With that, we can do our jobs to the best of our ability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Connectivity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Pyke speaks of educating and engaging the players because they remain Adelaide\u2019s most important stakeholders. \u201cWe spend a fair amount of time in meetings with players; there\u2019s lots of coffees and catching up with players at breakfast; I\u2019ll also have players over to mine for dinner,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s just to get to know them away from football; to understand what makes them tick and understand what they\u2019re after out of their careers as well. It\u2019s trying to engage them on a different level than purely coach to player; its more who they are and what they stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It can be quite a challenge given that an AFL senior and rookie list comprises of 45 players. \u201cYou have to actively develop a team-first atmosphere because they come from different backgrounds and come to football with slightly different reasons,\u201d he observes, emphasising that, \u201csome are 17 and just starting out on their journey and others are over 30 and getting towards the end of their journey; they have their own circumstances and family units.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe reality is that there will be players on the list I\u2019ll get on with better than others because that\u2019s the nature of 55 people \u2013 45 players and ten coaches. There\u2019ll be different relationships between different coaches, depending on their personalities. So it\u2019s not something we force but it\u2019s got to be based on open conversation, whether that\u2019s for two minutes or 20.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For all the disparate characters and personalities, the vagaries of Australian rules make a team-first attitude not only desirable, but essential: \u201cWe play a 22-player game and therefore it\u2019s not like you can have one or two superstars who can get it done for you at the weekend. People come in with their own goals and that\u2019s part of sport, but ultimately we need them to commit towards the team goals; and that\u2019s as simple as players playing their roles and doing what we expect them to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Key forward Josh Jenkins is effusive in his praise of his Senior Coach and he is not alone: \u201cDon has improved every person here as a person,\u201d he said after Adelaide became AFL minor premiers in September 2017. \u201cIf you are in a good space as a person, it is only natural that the next port of call will be your improvement as a footballer. Don has made everyone here better as a person. But, most importantly, Don has improved everyone\u2019s relationships. He has put things in place where I and Player X are able to improve our relationship. That leads to a lot more trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>\u201cIt\u2019s not something that happens overnight but it\u2019s a trait the greatest teams possess.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can see in the way we have played that we have a lot more trust in each other. And there is a lot more belief in the group. Don has people who put programs in place, but he is the head coach who has decided which way this group will develop and which way the program will take us.\u201d He signed off by adding: \u201cThat is the mark Don will leave on this group of players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Pyke is seeking \u2018connectivity\u2019 in his players: \u201cYou can recognise the connectivity of the group and because it\u2019s a 22-player game you\u2019ve got this unique web of relationships that binds the players together. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that happens overnight but it\u2019s a trait the greatest teams possess.\u201d; an ability to stay connected through the good and bad that happens on game day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The behaviours of the best<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How do Pyke and his coaching staff work to establish that much-desired connectivity? \u201cIn most cases in our sport, you can only play as well as the team plays, so just by playing your role it can actually help you be a better player; the two are intertwined.\u201d And this is where, as he explains, those personal relationships Adelaide work so thoroughly towards come into play: \u201cThey help you to understand where they\u2019re coming from and what they\u2019re after. If a player comes to me and says I want to be one of the best midfielders in the competition, that\u2019s a pretty clear goal. All I then have to do is hold them accountable to the behaviours required to do that. So they\u2019re the conversations you have with the players that allow you out on the training track to drive the standard required to achieve theirs and the teams\u2019 goals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, the cornerstone of a great athlete is that they actually understand what they\u2019re doing really well as well as where they need to improve; but the focus must be on what they\u2019re doing well. We\u2019ve got to get that right in an environment where we\u2019ve got 17-year-olds and 32-year-old men on our list. The players will get feedback and the balance of the positive and negative must be maintained.\u00a0 The areas for improvement are not about laying blame \u2013 it\u2019s ownership of areas to improve and each player on our list will have areas they\u2019re working on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The process of education begins from the moment draftees or new trades arrive at the club. \u201cWhen we first acquire a player it\u2019s about them understanding our program; how we go about developing them as a player and our team; clearly articulating their role within the team. Particularly the younger guys, who may be fresh out of school; introducing them to professional football is a big step.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Much of it is lifestyle-based. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to drip-feed them a lot of information, educating them about strength &amp; conditioning, what they eat, sleep patterns; all that it takes to be a professional footballer, not only when they\u2019re at the footy club but away in their life. It\u2019s not a full frontal lobotomy \u2013 it\u2019s more like \u2018let\u2019s start to educate them in what it takes to be a ten-year professional footballer\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Players will approach Pyke and his staff with any number of issues. As Adelaide\u2019s coaches look out for each other, so they will check in on the players. \u201cThat\u2019s where you see the importance of the relationship,\u201d says Pyke. \u201cWe need to clearly understand what\u2019s caused this action or problem and how we can help them to overcome that. I\u2019m big on players taking responsibility and owning their actions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This has seen Pyke and Adelaide established a player \u2018trademark\u2019 \u2013 a series of values and behaviours that the players stand for, such as that team-first attitude or embodying a competitive spirit out on the field. The Adelaide trademark provides the ground rules for the team\u2019s leadership group, which is voted for by the players in pre-season with some input from the coaches. Says Pyke: \u201cThe players will choose those they feel live their trademark the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The role of the leadership group ranges from weighty issues such as policing team discipline to potentially distracting trivialities such as procuring tickets for families. They might also be asked for their opinion on potential recruits. Pyke says that the connection between the players and their values is a continuous work in progress and so the team leadership group will be refreshed at the start of each campaign. \u201cIn 2017 we had six but it\u2019s really dependent on how players see the leaders at the footy club.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As the players have their trademark so do the coaches, who welcome feedback from the players. It is another sign of the growing cohesion at Adelaide. \u201cPart of making the players as good as they can be is understanding what I\u2019m good and not so good at; then getting feedback on those areas and continuing to build those relationships with the players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is important for Pyke because he understands that there will be rough patches and dips in form over the course of a season. \u201cWhat you\u2019ll see under pressure is people\u2019s default position; and often that is based around a range of factors; their personality, their personal situation. You might get a coach who has a new baby and isn\u2019t sleeping well; they might become short at times if something suddenly isn\u2019t working as they expected. In those circumstances relationships are important.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><em>\u201cWe understand where the person is coming from and while that doesn\u2019t mean that demands are lower, you know where they\u2019re coming from and they know you\u2019ve got their best interests at heart.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe understand that our obligation to the players is that we\u2019re as prepared as we can be; that we\u2019re in the best shape mentally and physically to give them what they need in any situation on game day. Do we always get it right? No we don\u2019t, but as coaches we need to get it right for each other because we operate in a relentless landscape. The level of care that\u2019s needed in a pressure situation to actually go \u2018it\u2019ll be alright, we\u2019ve got this\u2019 would be absent without those relationships.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re humans and go through a whole range of emotions with families, loved ones, and all those things we bring to work, whether we like it or not. \u201cWe understand where the person is coming from and while that doesn\u2019t mean that demands are lower, you know where they\u2019re coming from and they know you\u2019ve got their best interests at heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The conversation eventually turns to the 2017 Grand Final. \u201cThanks for bringing that up!\u201d jokes Pyke. He is, however, now with a new contract in hand, intent on using the experience of that defeat to redouble Adelaide\u2019s efforts in the season ahead. \u201cWe didn\u2019t get the result we wanted but there\u2019s still a lot of improvements we made and clearly we understand that there\u2019s more to make. That\u2019s part of the beauty of sport at this level.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou dust off and get ready to go again.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"col visibly-hidden col--flex-align-right\">\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don Pyke led the Adelaide Football Club to its first AFL Grand Final in 19 years. We explore how he hopes to build on that achievement in the year ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1423,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[22,20],"pathway":[],"topic":[],"sport":[],"class_list":["post-1422","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coaching-development-performance","category-leadership-culture-performance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Adelaide Ascending - Performance Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/adelaide-ascending\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Adelaide Ascending - Performance Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Don Pyke led the Adelaide Football Club to its first AFL Grand Final in 19 years. 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