He will be joined by returning forwards Barry Hall and Michael O’Loughlin in the side to take on the Tigers, while small forward Jarred Moore has been recalled at the expense of utility Ed Barlow.
A former Canadian rugby union international, Pyke scored a memorable try against the All Blacks in the most recent World Cup.
However, it’s his burgeoning Australian football prowess that he now wants to be known for and he will get his opportunity at the weekend after fellow tall Jesse White was struck down by illness.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played a first-class sports game so that’s the thing that I’m most excited about – to play in front of a good crowd, a good atmosphere and I think for any athlete at the highest level, that’s what they want to do,” Pyke said on Friday before training at the SCG.
“I’m excited. I’m confident that I know the role I’m expected to play. That’s important – going into the game and knowing what’s expected of you and I feel confident I can do it.”
Pyke’s journey to an AFL career began with a trial for the Swans in June last year, which led to an international rookie contract.
The 25-year-old played three pre-season games including the Swans’ NAB Cup loss to Port Adelaide.
He has spent the intervening weeks honing his skills and learning the game with the Swans’ reserves.
Swans coach Paul Roos said Pyke was under serious consideration for Sunday’s game, regardless of the illness that has ruled White out of the Richmond game.
Pyke said he had been aiming for a late-season debut but he was delighted to get his chance at the highest level earlier than expected.
The skills he learned playing as a back in rugby union had helped to expedite his transition between the two sports, he added.
“I don’t think extraordinary is the right word,” he said of his progress in Australian football.
“When I came, I knew I had a while to go but with my background in rugby, the people in the Aussie rules community don’t appreciate the skills that the union players have. I felt like I could grasp things at a decent rate.
“Handballing’s probably the most foreign movement. It’s such a bizarre sort of skill for me to get my head around and that’s still a challenge.”
Apart from an initial bout of self-doubt, Pyke said he had been confident that his gamble on a new sport in a new country was going to pay off.
“Watching the guys and the skills with the handballing and the kicking and thinking to myself, I’ve been kicking the ball a certain way in rugby union for 10-13 years – am I going to be able to change my body and my mechanics?” he said.
“Initially, that was probably the most daunting, but once I got up and running and training with the team, I’ve been feeling really good about it.”
