Former Richmond dual-premiership star Marlion Pickett has pleaded guilty to two charges relating to burglaries in the Perth area during his playing career.
Pickett appeared in Perth District Court on Thursday morning, where he accepted the charges of dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Marlion Pickett retired from the AFL last year after he was charged, having played 91 games for Richmond.Credit: Getty Images AsiaPac
Prosecutors discontinued a further 12 charges, meaning Pickett is no longer accused of being directly involved in the burglaries in question.
In August 2024, he pleaded not guilty to the original 12 charges. At the time, police claimed Pickett and his brother-in-law, along with four other co-accused, targeted businesses in Perth and the northern suburbs of Nollamara, Girrawheen and Beechboro, and the regional town of Beverley, taking money from safes.
After Thursday’s hearing, Pickett’s lawyer said the charges were discontinued as it was not in the public interest to pursue them and there was “an unreasonable prospect of conviction”.
The alleged offences occurred in December 2022 and January 2023.
During Pickett’s first court appearance in June 2023, prosecutors claimed he was linked to the crimes because his phone “pinged” near one of the burglary locations at the time the offence was committed. They also claimed Pickett received payments of $6000 and $9000 into his bank account.
At the time of his arrest, Pickett’s lawyers told the court the evidence against him was weak.
The now-33-year-old Pickett played his first AFL game in the 2019 grand final, becoming just the sixth player in VFL/AFL history to debut in a decider.
He kicked a goal and helped win the premiership, as Richmond beat Greater Western Sydney by 89 points.
This was a fairytale storyline at the time, as Pickett had spent time in jail in Perth before his AFL career.
The father of four retired last year, after he was charged, having played 91 games for Richmond. He is playing for Melton South in outer Melbourne in 2025.
After first appearing in court in June 2023, Pickett was given special bail conditions that allowed him to continue his interstate football commitments
