Adelaide coach Don Pyke believes unsettled Mitch McGovern will remain at West Lakes
ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke believes Mitch McGovern will remain at West Lakes next year despite continuing uncertainty over the high-leaping forward’s future after he was overlooked for the trip to Canberra to take on GWS.
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ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke believes Mitch McGovern will remain at West Lakes despite continuing uncertainty over the high-leaping forward’s future.
McGovern was left out of Adelaide’s side to face GWS in Canberra on Saturday, fanning speculation the 23-year-old is unsettled at West Lakes despite signing a three-year deal to stay at the Crows last August.
“I expect him to be here next season, I haven’t heard further on that,” Pyke said.
McGovern reportedly harboured second thoughts about committing to Adelaide last October after Adelaide’s big play for Bryce Gibbs from Carlton.
McGovern, whose brother Jeremy recently signed a mammoth, multimillion-dollar, five-year deal to stay at West Coast, has been linked with a move to a Victorian club if Adelaide can work a trade.
McGovern’s best hope of an exit is for Adelaide prioritising Izak Rankine and Jack Lukosius in the 2018 Super Draft and being part of an intricate trade.
However, Pyke says McGovern — restricted to 10 games by injury this season — requires match conditioning in the SANFL.
“It was a pretty tough decision not to play him but given the prep he has had, we brought him in for the game against Brisbane with Taylor Walker out and he played the following week and did the shoulder. We thought he should get back to play some footy,” said Pyke.
“I think he just hasn’t played a lot, a bit of match conditioning, form that is the main drivers.”
Non selection had nothing to do with rumours about McGovern’s situation at Adelaide.
“The reality is for him it is getting some games under his belt and getting his match conditioning and form to contribute the way we know he can,” said Pyke after McGovern hurt a shoulder in round 19 against Melbourne.
“He is on our best 22 but missed a lot of footy. He missed 10 weeks with an ankle. We brought him back in early (in round 18) on the basis of Tex being out. He just needs to play.
“At the moment we have decided he needs to get some runs under his belt in terms of playing AFL footy. He will go and do that on Saturday.”
The Crows have re-signed Rory Sloane but remain sensitive after losing stars including Phil Davis, Patrick Dangerfield, Jack Gunston, Kurt Tippett, Charlie Cameron and Jake Lever in recent years.
Adelaide will confront a GWS unit that swings 196cm Jeremy Cameron, 194 cm Harry Himmelberg, 194cm Adam Tomlinson and ruckman Rory Lobb through its attack. Adelaide, rocked by the withdrawal of battered Daniel Talia, preferred 186cm Kyle Cheney to 191cm McGovern while Richard Douglas covers injured Riley Knight (knee).
“We have Alex Keath and they have some dangerous forwards in Himmelberg and Cameron. We have Tom Doedee, Keath, Kyle Cheney has come back in as well as Brodie Smith so we think we have got the capacity to cover the forwards,” said Pyke.
“It depends how they structure up. Daniel is a big out but Cheney was in good form before he was suspended. It depends how they structure up.”
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