Melbourne have avoided a repeat of last year’s Luke Jackson saga, re-signing star forward Kysaiah Pickett for four more years in a significant coup.
Pickett is already one of the AFL’s best small forwards – kicking at least 40 goals in each of the past two seasons, including the club’s premiership year in 2021 – and Port Adelaide, Fremantle and West Coast all had a dip at winning his services.
Kysaiah Pickett re-signed at Melbourne for four more years.Credit: Getty Images
The electrifying 21-year-old’s fresh contract ties him to the Demons until the end of the 2027 season, after which he will be a free agent, and follows them re-signing Alex Neal-Bullen for three years last week.
Breakout forward Kade Chandler and midfielder James Jordon are now their top re-signing priorities for this year. The Age revealed in April that Chandler was leaning towards staying after finally becoming a senior regular.
“I’m very excited to be signing on and continuing my career in the red and blue,” Pickett said.
“The club has embraced me and my family, and I can’t thank them enough for their support. Everything I do is to make my family proud, and the respect and understanding my teammates and coaches have shown us means a lot.
“Giving back to my community and putting smiles on kids’ faces makes me happy. I was once that little kid, and it’s special for me to now be giving back and doing what I love, surrounded by people I love.”
Melbourne’s list manager Tim Lamb said he was “thrilled” that Pickett, known best as “Kozzy”, chose to remain at the club, particularly so early in the year, after Jackson’s decision lingered beyond the home and away season.
Jackson, who eventually requested a trade to Fremantle, and Pickett were the Dees’ two first-round picks in 2019.
“He has already proven himself to be one of the premier small forwards in the competition … [and] everyone has now seen his ability around the ball, and he is just scratching the surface, in terms of where he can take his game,” Lamb said.
“Kozzy’s ability to hit the scoreboard, combined with his genuine appetite to chase and tackle, makes him an invaluable asset to our team. His rapid development is a testament to his hard work and the terrific environment and culture we have here at Melbourne.
“Koz is universally loved within the club and has a great relationship with ‘Goody’ [coach Simon Goodwin] and his teammates.”
Melbourne grew increasingly confident about retaining Pickett in the past month, with Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca even saying last week he had “zero doubt” his ex-housemate would stick around.
There were industry murmurs last year that Pickett was weighing up a move back to South Australia, where he lived with his uncle and ex-AFL hardman Byron, while he also spent his early years in Western Australia.
The Demons continue to lock away their best talent, with Jackson the only significant departure since they won the flag two years ago.
Pickett joins the likes of Clayton Oliver (2030), Petracca (2029), Angus Brayshaw (2028), Brodie Grundy (2027), Bayley Fritsch and Christian Salem (2026), and Max Gawn, Steven May and Jack Viney (2025) in committing for the long term.
Retaining that collection of talent, plus young guns Jacob van Rooyen (2025), Trent Rivers (2027) and Judd McVee (2025), should ensure Melbourne are premiership contenders for the foreseeable future.
