Dukes of depth - Saturday 27 May 2000

We all know of players that finish their careers with two or three clubs to their names. Some fellas are drafted because of an individual style on a par with John Candy movies. Then as the years roll on they alter their games to fit a new game plan and get into groove like a James Brown song. For example Dale Kickett was asked to kick a lot of goals from half forward at Fitzroy and West Coast and St Kilda and Essendon. It was when the gifted Kickett crossed to Fremantle that he developed into an attacking ball carrier off half back. This change has extended a career which could easily have ended up in the dumpmaster of football.

By contrast there are players picked up because of a non negotiable work ethic, a team orientation and a sense of accountability. Blokes that prefer to be engineers or refuellers or baggage handlers rather than pilots or navigators. Robert Pyman was this sort of player. He forged his reputation with Woodville-West Torrens in the fires of the SANFL. He came under notice at North Melbourne for his willingness to get at the base of packs and create opportunities for skillful players running past. Pyman was the kind of guy who clocked up the kilometres instead of a stylish machine that went by the tachometer.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Robert Pyman's League career was his drafting by the Kangaroos. The Ardeneers secured the South Australian with 1992 national draft pick 6 after trading Paul Spargo to Brisbane. An AFL investigation fined the Roos $10,000 for manipulating the draft. In any event, Pyman took over the numero16 jumper vacated by John McCarthy.

The new Shinboner played the way he had in South Australia. He was low key as a conference of accountants. You checked his possessions and really they were nothing startling. But on examination Pyman was the master of the one percenter. The smothers, the knock ons. Plus he was an astronaut plumber - the taps into space. With his in-close style injuries followed. He copped a quad complaint that was harder to brush off than leeches in the tropics. Pyman returned from injury through the Reserves. It gave him the opportunity to get his touch back and to re-acclimatise to the speed and pressure of Victorian football.

The Kangaroos import proved himself a big occasion player. The 1993 Elimination Final. Roos v. West Coast at Waverley. Pyman played well. He forced midfielders such as Kemp and Mainwaring to play his style. The free running Eagles were bottled up like home brew. And 20 minutes into the last quarter, Pyman slipped forward and snapped a fantastic goal from the pocket main scoreboard end. To no avail. Eagles won 17.18 to 11.3.

For reasons that were never quite explained, the Roos delisted Pyman in 1995 after 16 games and 8 goals. RP was far from RIP. In 1995, Collingwood secured Robert with a trade which saw Chris Groom go to postcode 3051. Pyman had some injury problems at Vic Park. When fit he played some cracking games in the Twos. Once promoted, he played in his customary hard working way. Maybe the Magpies were looking for a complete reversal of style. You know, lightning pace, bouncing the ball and booting a freak goal in front of the Members. For Robert Pyman that was the definition of never. The former Roo was delisted by Collingwood after 5 games.

Melbourne drafted Robbie P. using 1997 pre-season pick 13. He had an excellent season. Not an injury in sight. Played 19 senior games in the midfield. Pyman remained the high priest of the one percenters. He was at his best in Round 3 against the Swans at the SCG under lights. Worked diligently and kicked a long goal early in the last stanza. Not enough to knock off the Swannies in a cliff hanger 15.9 to 14.7. He also performed creditably in the Round 8 massacre by Geelong at the MCG. Cats winners 19.14 to 7.7.

Robert was dropped off by the Demons at the end of 1997. A career total of 40 games '93 to '97. In that time he appeared in 65 Seconds games. Far from a fancy industrial designer or consultant sort of player, Robert Pyman was your original nuts and bolts midfielder.

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