Adelaide Crows coach Don Pyke tips star Bryce Gibbs to bounce back from axing, puts teammates on notice

Adelaide coach Don Pyke says the decision to drop Bryce Gibbs was based on form rather than making a statement. But as the star prepares to play his first SANFL game since 2006, more big names will be the under the spotlight.

Bryce Gibbs and Sam Jacobs wall off the ground following Round 1 loss to Hawthorn. Picture SARAH REED

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Having watched Bryce Gibbs’ fall, indifferent Adelaide has been put on notice to perform or perish by coach Don Pyke.

Big names and reputations won’t save stalwarts under Pyke’s ‘merit-based’ system, underlined by the promotion of in-form SANFL duo Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Myles Poholke.

“In any organisation performance is what holds you in the team so whether it the midfield or anywhere else we need to make sure we are consistently performing to a high standard,” said Pyke, with Adelaide in 12th spot entering Saturday night’s clash against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

Bryce Gibbs watches Gary Rohan celebrate a goal last week. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Bryce Gibbs spills a mark under pressure from Geelong rookie Gryan Miers. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Josh Jenkins and Eddie Betts — who will play his 299th AFL game on Saturday — are hanging on to spots by a thread in a forward line blighted by the league’s worst goal-per-inside 50 ratio, shot-at-goal accuracy and skimpy forward 50 pressure.

Pyke won’t tolerate any passengers against the Kangaroos.

“We have guys who it has been acknowledged aren’t in their best form,” said Pyke.

“There is always a challenge as a match committee to say ‘at what point do we back those guys in to return to form’. Clearly we have guys ahead of the ball in our forward line who are not playing as well as we would like them to.

“I am confident they will respond, know what they need to do.”

“Patchy form” consigned midfielder Gibbs to the SANFL for the first time since the Glenelg product was chosen at No.1 in the 2006 national draft by Carlton.

Taylor Walker of the Crows is tackled by Lachie Henderson last week. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Port Adelaide premiership on-baller Kane Cornes said Gibbs delivered the “worst 27-touch display” he had seen against in Adelaide’s Round 3 loss to Geelong.

“We work on a merit-based system. The reality is guys earn their spots in teams,” said Pyke of Gibbs who finished second in Adelaide’s Brownlow Medal voting to Rory Laird and played every game last season

“We have got guys who are experienced and played a lot of footy but you still have to perform and that is what it came down to.

“In our SANFL team we had Cam Ellis-Yolmen who has been playing really strongly and at this stage we assessed that Cam is a better alternative than Bryce.”

Pyke expects Gibbs to react to his demotion with the class that has served him well over 256 AFL games.

“We know he is a quality player and want him in our best 22 but has just got some things to tidy up and when he does that I will expect him to push for selection really soon,” Pyke said.

Pyke said ruckman Sam Jacobs will resume from knee bruising against Gold Coast Suns next Sunday at Adelaide Oval. Reilly O’Brien’s AFL education will be fast tracked against Kangaroos colossus Todd Goldstein.

“He plays a good ruckman in Goldstein, learning all the time,” said Pyke.