Pyke aims too high too early

MASTER coach Kevin Sheedy has suggested it was too soon for Don Pyke to win a premiership and has urged clubs to remain patient with coaches.

Sheedy, who won flag as a player at Richmond and Essendon as coach, said it was unrealistic to expect a title from a coach who had only been a senior coach for two seasons – especially when he was up against one who had taken eight years to build for a flag.

Sheedy said the odds were against Pyke as the club was reeling from off-field tragedies and the loss of important players in the years leading up.

“How difficult it was for Pyke to get there in 45 matches ... and they’ve gone through some unbelievable landscape problems with Dean Bailey and Phil Walsh,” he said.

“And they’ve lost three or four excellent players like (Kurt) Tippett and (Patrick) Dangerfield and (Phil) Davis.

“They’ve lost all of those players, lost two coaches and in comes Pyke and in 45 games has got them in a grand final.”