Latest news with #Pyke
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
AFL club boss breaks down remembering ‘emotional' moment
West Coast CEO Don Pyke fought back tears speaking about the Eagles' emotion-charged victory in the wake of the tragic death of premiership player Adam Selwood. The Eagles upset St Kilda last month at Optus Stadium for their only victory of the season. It came just 24 hours after the AFL world were shattered by the death of Selwood. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Don Pyke's exclusive interview with 7NEWS Perth. Adam Selwood's death came just a few months after twin brother Troy also died. In an exclusive interview with 7NEWS Perth's Ryan Daniels, Pyke broke down when asked about his feeling when the siren went after the Saints match. Don Pyke was emotional speaking about the club's win over Adam Selwood's death. Credit: 7NEWS 'I'm getting emotional ... I was just proud of the footy club,' he said through tears. 'It wasn't easy. It wasn't easy for the staff in particular, they were close to Adam and the players were probably more upset because the staff were upset. 'A lot of them didn't know Adam, they didn't know his reputation and his involvement across the club but they sensed that it was a sad day for the club. 'When the siren went it was quite interesting, I sort of sat back and thought 'how are we going to deal with this?' and I thought the players showed real maturity. 'They won their first game for the year, you'd expect they'd be jumping around, they'd be all over but they were sort of this subdued nature to this. 'It was a great win but it was a sad win. But it showed to me how great footy clubs are because everyone came together, all the planets align and we win a game of footy off the back of what was an incredibly sad weekend for the club. 'It was sort of this muted celebration of a win. 'I felt great for Andrew (McQualter), first win as an AFL coach at our club was fantastic, but off the back of the circumstances was interesting. 'Very mixed emotions for the whole day. Meanwhile, Pyke has provided an update on contract negotiations with boom superstar Harley Reid. Reid remains contracted to the club until the end of 2026 on his initial three-year deal with the club. But there is constant speculation surrounding his future with every Victorian club reportedly in the hunt for the 20-year-old. 7NEWS Perth's Ryan Daniels has previously reported there are three, five and seven-year deals on the table for Ried that would be the most lucrative deal in Eagles history. The offer is expected to be worth close to $2 million a season. Pyke said they are still waiting for Reid to make a decision. Reid celebrates a goal against Geelong. Credit: Getty Images 'We've been in communication with him and his management,' Pyke told 7NEWS Perth. 'I keep saying to him, Harley is a 20-year-old second-year player, I appreciate that it's unique and we recognise that as a No.1 pick, I don't think any of us have seen a player hit the scene as strong as he did and he performed through the roof last year. 'As much as we'd love to get him re-signed and we're certainly in those conversations with him but you don't tie him down and say 'sign here, sign here'. 'He'll make his decision when he wants to. He's enjoying his time here and as much as everyone would be desperate for us to sign him, it'll take the time it takes.' Pyke insists he isn't nervous about the situation. 'That's assuming he actually knows what he wants,' Pyke said when asked if Reid really wanted to say he'd just sign. 'He might go 'well I want a 10-year deal' ... we've had the conversation, what is it you want right now and how does this contract offer look for you, and bits and pieces. 'I don't know and hopefully it gets to the point where he wants to make a decision soon and then we'll deal with that.'
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
West Coast boss Don Pyke breaks down remembering ‘emotional' victory after Adam Selwood's death
West Coast CEO Don Pyke fought back tears speaking about the Eagles' emotion-charged victory in the wake of the tragic death of premiership player Adam Selwood. The Eagles upset St Kilda last month at Optus Stadium for their only victory of the season. It came just 24 hours after the AFL world were shattered by the death of Selwood. Adam Selwood's death came just a few months after twin brother Troy also died. In an exclusive interview with 7NEWS Perth's Ryan Daniels, Pyke broke down when asked about his feeling when the siren went after the Saints match. 'I'm getting emotional ... I was just proud of the footy club,' he said through tears. 'It wasn't easy. It wasn't easy for the staff in particular, they were close to Adam and the players were probably more upset because the staff were upset. 'A lot of them didn't know Adam, they didn't know his reputation and his involvement across the club but they sensed that it was a sad day for the club. 'When the siren went it was quite interesting, I sort of sat back and thought 'how are we going to deal with this?' and I thought the players showed real maturity. 'They won their first game for the year, you'd expect they'd be jumping around, they'd be all over but they were sort of this subdued nature to this. 'It was a great win but it was a sad win. But it showed to me how great footy clubs are because everyone came together, all the planets align and we win a game of footy off the back of what was an incredibly sad weekend for the club. 'It was sort of this muted celebration of a win. 'I felt great for Andrew (McQualter), first win as an AFL coach at our club was fantastic, but off the back of the circumstances was interesting. 'Very mixed emotions for the whole day. Meanwhile, Pyke has provided an update on contract negotiations with boom superstar Harley Reid. Reid remains contracted to the club until the end of 2026 on his initial three-year deal with the club. But there is constant speculation surrounding his future with every Victorian club reportedly in the hunt for the 20-year-old. 7NEWS Perth's Ryan Daniels has previously reported there are three, five and seven-year deals on the table for Ried that would be the most lucrative deal in Eagles history. The offer is expected to be worth close to $2 million a season. Pyke said they are still waiting for Reid to make a decision. 'We've been in communication with him and his management,' Pyke told 7NEWS Perth. 'I keep saying to him, Harley is a 20-year-old second-year player, I appreciate that it's unique and we recognise that as a No.1 pick, I don't think any of us have seen a player hit the scene as strong as he did and he performed through the roof last year. 'As much as we'd love to get him re-signed and we're certainly in those conversations with him but you don't tie him down and say 'sign here, sign here'. 'He'll make his decision when he wants to. He's enjoying his time here and as much as everyone would be desperate for us to sign him, it'll take the time it takes.' Pyke insists he isn't nervous about the situation. 'That's assuming he actually knows what he wants,' Pyke said when asked if Reid really wanted to say he'd just sign. 'He might go 'well I want a 10-year deal' ... we've had the conversation, what is it you want right now and how does this contract offer look for you, and bits and pieces. 'I don't know and hopefully it gets to the point where he wants to make a decision soon and then we'll deal with that.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Head at Welsh primary school jailed for assault on deputy over ‘sexual jealousy'
A headteacher who was caught on video attacking his deputy with a large adjustable spanner, in an assault motivated by 'overwhelming sexual jealously', has been jailed for more than two years. Anthony John Felton, 54, concealed the wrench in his jacket pocket as he approached his colleague, Richard Pyke, 51, from behind. Video of the incident showed him taking out the heavy tool and then repeatedly swinging it at Pyke's head. Pyke fell to the floor and attempted to kick away Felton before colleagues at St Joseph's Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Aberavon, south Wales, heard the disturbance and came to his aid. When graphic CCTV footage of the incident was played to Swansea crown court there were gasps in the public gallery at the ferocity of the attack. Ieuan Rees, for the prosecution, said Felton believed Pyke had slept with another teacher with whom he had recently been in a relationship. 'The evidence of his wife and the admissions he made to her suggested Mr Felton had been in a relationship with another member of staff and had recently discovered he was the father of her child,' he said. 'Furthermore, he believed that Mr Pyke had now begun his own relationship with that lady.' After the attack, Felton fled the school in his car and then emailed staff to apologise 'for the problems and distress his actions were likely to cause', the court heard. Felton, who had been headteacher since September 2023, pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, at a hearing earlier this month. In a victim impact statement address to Felton, Pyke said: 'You had my complete trust in every way and you used that to manoeuvre me into a position of utter vulnerability. And then you attacked me from behind.' He added: 'The fear that you could attempt to do me such harm, smiling at me just seconds before, will always be with me.' On Friday, Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Felton to two years and four months in jail and issued an indefinite restraining order. The judge said the 'ambush' by a headteacher on their deputy was: 'I suspect, entirely without precedent'. He added: 'You are more than intelligent enough to realise when you plotted this bizarre attack that the impact and ramifications would be immense and far-reaching. 'Ultimately, the trigger for your act of extreme violence was of your own doing, the overwhelming sexual jealousy arising from an adulterous affair and the uncontrollable rage it created in you.' John Hipkin KC, speaking for the defence, said Felton had recently suffered due to the death of his mother and a cancer diagnosis. After the attack, police said Pyke had been discharged from hospital after suffering minor injuries.
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- The Guardian
Head at Welsh primary school jailed for assault on deputy over ‘sexual jealously'
A headteacher who was caught on video attacking his deputy with a large adjustable spanner, in an assault motivated by 'overwhelming sexual jealously', has been jailed for more than two years. Anthony John Felton, 54, concealed the wrench in his jacket pocket as he approached his colleague, Richard Pyke, 51, from behind. Video of the incident showed him taking out the heavy tool and then repeatedly swinging it at Pyke's head. Pyke fell to the floor and attempted to kick away Felton before colleagues at St Joseph's Roman Catholic comprehensive school in Aberavon, south Wales, heard the disturbance and came to his aid. When graphic CCTV footage of the incident was played to Swansea crown court there were gasps in the public gallery at the ferocity of the attack. Ieuan Rees, for the prosecution, said Felton believed Pyke had slept with another teacher with whom he had recently been in a relationship. 'The evidence of his wife and the admissions he made to her suggested Mr Felton had been in a relationship with another member of staff and had recently discovered he was the father of her child,' he said. 'Furthermore, he believed that Mr Pyke had now begun his own relationship with that lady.' After the attack, Felton fled the school in his car and then emailed staff to apologise 'for the problems and distress his actions were likely to cause', the court heard. Felton, who had been headteacher since September 2023, pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, at a hearing earlier this month. In a victim impact statement address to Felton, Pyke said: 'You had my complete trust in every way and you used that to manoeuvre me into a position of utter vulnerability. And then you attacked me from behind.' He added: 'The fear that you could attempt to do me such harm, smiling at me just seconds before, will always be with me.' On Friday, Judge Paul Thomas sentenced Felton to two years and four months in jail and issued an indefinite restraining order. The judge said the 'ambush' by a headteacher on their deputy was: 'I suspect, entirely without precedent'. He added: 'You are more than intelligent enough to realise when you plotted this bizarre attack that the impact and ramifications would be immense and far-reaching. 'Ultimately, the trigger for your act of extreme violence was of your own doing, the overwhelming sexual jealousy arising from an adulterous affair and the uncontrollable rage it created in you.' John Hipkin KC, speaking for the defence, said Felton had recently suffered due to the death of his mother and a cancer diagnosis. After the attack, police said Pyke had been discharged from hospital after suffering minor injuries.
Daily Mirror
25-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Moment headteacher batters colleague with wrench in rage over 'sexual jealousy'
Anthony John Felton, 54, armed himself with a wrench before 'ambushing' his deputy Richard Pyke, 51, at the Welsh school they worked in before sending an extraordinary email to staff A headteacher attacked his deputy with a wrench in school over his "overwhelming sexual jealousy" after becoming entangled in a love triangle. Anthony John Felton, 54, had armed himself with a tool and sought out his colleague Richard Pyke, 51, before ambushing the fellow teacher and attacking him from behind. Pyke fell to the ground and desperately attempted to kick the attacker away at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Aberavon, South Wales. Colleagues rushed to help after hearing the bust up. Felton, who was married, launched the horrific attack after believing Pyke had slept with a teacher, with whom he had recently been in a relationship with. Pyke was rushed to hospital with head injuries, after the March 5 attack. Felton threw the wrench away and left the school in his car. The headteacher then sent an email to all staff apologising 'for the problems and distress his actions were likely to cause'. In the nasty email, the head also accused his alleged affair partner of having "slept her way to the top". The prosecution lawyer said: "The evidence of his wife and the admissions he made to her suggested Mr Felton had been in a relationship with another member of staff and had recently discovered he was the father of her child. Furthermore, he believed that Mr Pyke had now begun his own relationship with that lady." Felton pleaded guilty to attempted grievous bodily harm with intent on April 7 and has now been jailed for two years and four months over the shocking school attack. The judge also issued a restraining order. In court, Judge Paul Thomas said an attack by a head on their deputy was "I suspect, entirely without precedent" and was the result of "overwhelming sexual jealousy". He added: "That a headmaster of a school should take and use a weapon to try to badly injure their deputy, is I suspect, entirely without precedent. You are more than intelligent enough to realise when you plotted this bizarre attack that the impact and ramifications would be immense and far-reaching." The judge added: "Mr Pyke thought he was your friend. Your victim. He was struck from behind having been lured by you into what was in effect an ambush." Following the incident, police said Pyke had been discharged from hospital after suffering minor injuries. Abul Hussain, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Anthony Felton struck a defenceless man repeatedly to the head with a metal weapon, demonstrating he had an intent to cause his victim really serious harm. The level of unprovoked violence, from a professional in the workplace, was shocking. "Too often we see attacks of this nature result in life changing injuries or fatal consequences, and thankfully, that was not the result in this case."
