Picking Pickett was a ‘unanimous decision’
Tigers coach made choice early in week of grand final
MARLION Pickett’s magnet went up on Damien Hardwick’s grand final team board as early as last Monday, paving the way for one of footy’s most remarkable debuts.
The electric utility dazzled on the AFL’s biggest stage in the Tigers’ 89-point premiership rout, only six days after he was best-on-ground in the VFL Grand Final.
Tigers’ VFL coach and assistant coach of the year Craig McRae said the performances were a sign of things to come for Pickett next year, after he completes his first AFL pre-season.
“‘Dimma’ said on the Monday, after the VFL Grand Final, that ‘Maybe I’m leaning towards Marlion’,” McRae said.
“And his magnet came up on the (team) board, which it probably wasn’t previously.
“It was still lineball, and I don’t think they officially made the decision until Thursday, so it came down to the last call, but it was pretty unanimous.
“It just always sort of felt like he was going to step up to the level because that is what he has always done.
“And now he is a onegame life member of the Richmond Football Club.”
Pickett, 27, had 22 disposals and provided two of the most breathtaking moments of the premiership decider.
There was the magical blind turn around Lachie Whitfield in the second term and then the spine-tingling set shot which handed the mid-season pick-up his first AFL goal.
McRae said the pass from Dustin Martin across the face of goal that found Pickett unmarked was typically selfless.
“When Dustin came to the bench just after that
I said to him, ‘Geez, you are a good man looking after him’, and it just brought the house down, didn’t it,” McRae said.
McRae, who helped Pickett flourish in his six VFL appearances this season, said the club was excited for what the mature-age sensation could produce next season.
Having made himself at home on the biggest AFL stage, Richmond grand final hero and instant fan favourite Pickett is intent on making sure he’s no flash in the pan. “I’ll get a good pre-season in and we’ll rock and roll from there ... I’m enjoying my footy and when I’m (doing that) I play my best footy,” Pickett said yesterday.
Jack Riewoldt said there were more like Pickett.
The Richmond superstar urged clubs to take punts on players in the hope of unearthing gems, as the Tigers have done with Sydney Stack and Pickett in 2019.
“I’ll tell you what it says – there’s some bloody good players out there in local leagues playing footy that deserve their opportunity at AFL level,” he said.
“You just need a club that’s willing to take, not a risk, but believes in someone, and we did that with Marlion.
“He’s been here for 12 weeks and he’s a bloody smart footballer and he’s a fantastic person. It was a brave decision to pick him (for the Grand Final), people outside the club probably questioned it, I know Kevin Sheedy questioned it, but you just pick your best players.