DON Pyke has quit as coach of AFL club Adelaide.
Pyke, who coached Adelaide for four seasons, made the shock announcement on Thursday.
“It is clear to me it is my time to move on knowing I have given my all,” Pyke said in a statement.
Pyke departs after Adelaide missed the finals in the past two seasons after being losing grand finalists in 2017.
The Crows are performing two separate reviews, one by club staff and another by a four-member panel headed by Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall.
But Pyke said his decision wasn’t based on the reviews, which are ongoing.
“This decision has been extraordinarily difficult to reach, but vital for me is the club and playing group being able to move forward, and the health and happiness of important people in my life,” he said.
Pyke first canvassed stepping down a week ago – a timeframe coinciding with the start of the Dunstall-led review – in talks with club chairman Rob Chapman and chief executive Andrew Fagan.
“Don has given his all to the club and his work ethic, competitiveness and love for footy is immense,” Fagan said in a statement.
“And we will always be grateful for the positive contribution he has made.”
Fagan said the hunt for a new coach for next season and beyond would be urgent.
“This industry demands that you move quickly and the search for a replacement now begins in earnest,” he said.
“We will use the learnings and reflections gleaned from the current internal and external reviews to ensure we find the best possible candidate to steer us into a new era.”
Pyke was appointed Adelaide’s coach for the 2016 season, after the death of incumbent Phil Walsh in the middle of the 2015 season.
He coached Adelaide in 93 matches – the third-longest serving Crows coach – with a 60.75 winning percentage.
© AAP 2019
