"I think it’s important to talk through those things and vent a little bit, if you can get a few things off your chest ... I think it’s pretty important to move on quickly and go back [to the SANFL] with the best attitude you can because you’re going to be playing with some young guys who are watching what you do and are hanging onto every word you say back there.

"So it’s important to set a good example for them and not be whinging and sooking too much ... you don’t want to set bad habits for them going forward in the future."

Gibbs questioned Pyke over the match committee’s decision to drop him again but insisted he had a healthy relationship with the Adelaide coach and felt more comfortable with his axing once the reasons were outlined to him.

"I’m in constant contact with Don and what he wants from me as an individual and the areas that he wants me to improve on," he said.

"He’s the first to put his hand up and say, 'I’m here to help you so if there’s areas you’re working on and I can assist in those areas, I’ll come and do that with you'.

"That’s great to hear as a player that a coach is willing to roll up his sleeves up and come help you.

"Although the conversations can be hard and they’re not easy to have, they’re important to have and once you do have them, you feel a lot better."

Gibbs said it was a healthy situation for the club to have senior players like himself and Josh Jenkins left out of the side.

"It certainly makes guys think about their games a lot more I think and know that their spot in the side isn’t going to be a guaranteed thing," he said.

"Successful sides have showed in the past that you need a lot of guys fighting for spots ... although it's disappointing for the individual, no one wants to be playing in the reserves, it certainly shows the strength of where the list's at and shows that you don’t have many injuries which is a great thing for the footy club.

"I'm a proud person ... I'm determined as ever to get back into the side and I know what I can bring to this group and I think I can make a difference.

"It's hard to sit up there [in the stands] on game day ... to watch the boys, you certainly ride every bump and tackle and you feel like you want to be out there going through it with them."