Crows coach Don Pyke says issues have to be worked through if McGovern remains a Crow
CROWS coach Don Pyke has planned for the possibility of Mitch McGovern remaining an Adelaide player if a suitable trade can’t be found during the exchange period — and how to deal with it.
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ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke has outlined the reasons for Mitch McGovern wanting to leave the Crows but has prepared to work through the problems if a suitable trade can’t be found for the high-marking forward.
McGovern has told Pyke and the club that he doesn’t feel that the club is the best place for him to fulfil his potential and has requested a trade — rumoured to be to a Melbourne-based club — despite having two years remaining on his contract.
There was speculation he was on the move this time last year before he signed a three-year deal which may now force him to stay at the club — much like Bryce Gibbs had to spend an extra year of Carlton before a trade could be arranged to have cross to the Crows and his native South Australia.
On the morning of the club’s best and fairest count, Pyke echoed chief executive Andrew Fagan’s suggestion that if the club is not offered the right compensation McGovern could be stuck at West Lakes.
Pyke was told by McGovern he wanted out as the Crows season came to an end with a win against Carlton, a club understood to be one of the bidders for McGovern.
“That’s disappointing,” Pyke said. “When Mitch came and saw me earlier in the week, from where he’s coming from, (it’s) the decision he’s made where he feels it’s not the best place for him to play his footy.
“Which again is disappointing.
“We signed him up last year and as I think it’s been documented throughout this week we will try to get the best we can for Mitch and if we can’t get a good enough deal then he’ll remain an Adelaide player next year.”
Pyke had already considered the possibility of McGovern staying.
If he did have to stay against his will, there were issues that needed to be worked out to get McGovern back to his best.
Pyke indicated he understood the reasons for McGovern wanted to leave and said he would deal with those if no deal could be made.
“There’s a number of reasons and factors, and I won’t go into detail, that I spoke to about with Mitch,” Pyke said on TripleM. “Some of those are historical, some of those are environmental.
“That's it; it’s his personal view and we’ll continue to work with Mitch.
“And clearly, if we can’t get a deal done we’ll have to work through some of those issues to make sure he’s able to perform the way we know he’s capable of.”