- Joined
- Dec 3, 2004
- Posts
- 1,225
- Reaction score
- 71
- Location
- Melb
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
- Other Teams
- Demons,Pacers
The controversial career of Byron Pickett will end on Sunday when he plays his final match against Carlton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Pickett informed the Melbourne match committee this week that he would join retiring teammates Nathan Brown and Clint Bizzell in their send-off game. The 30-year-old, who was due to come out of contract at the end of the season, will play his 204th game on Sunday.
In two years with the Demons, he has managed 28 matches. He also played 55 for Port Adelaide and 120 for the Kangaroos after making his debut in 1997.
Pickett's season has been marred by a lack of fitness and a mid-season club suspension for breaking team rules.
He was fined $5000 by the Demons and suspended for a month from playing at the elite level, and given an ultimatum by Melbourne just two matches short of his 200-game milestone.
The Demons became aware of a problem when Pickett sent a text message to coach Neale Daniher on the eve of Melbourne's round-seven match against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, requesting that he be withdrawn after admitting to drinking alcohol. Pickett had been named as an emergency.
Part of his penalty was that he had to play at least four games with VFL affiliate Sandringham before being considered again for senior selection.
Pickett had a horror start to 2007, first restricted by a hamstring problem in the pre-season, then by an illness to his mother in Western Australia, as well as being dogged by a weight problem. He has played only eight senior games this season.
Melbourne rushed him back in round four because of its long injury list, but his fitness levels were way below peak condition. Pickett won the AFL's rising star award in 1998 and won All-Australian selection the following season. He was a member of the 1999 Kangaroos premiership side.
He also won the Norm Smith Medal as best on the ground in Port Adelaide's 2004 grand final win against the Brisbane Lions.
He was initially a bargain for the Roos, selected in the 1996 national draft with pick No.67.
However, his career started to stagnate in his final season with Port Adelaide when he was suspended for six matches for making high contact in a pre-season fixture against Adelaide in the first case heard under the revamped tribunal system.
The Demons are expected to announce his retirement today.
Cant say im all that happy about it he still has alot to offer the club and on his day would be in the best 10 players at the club now i think he could have played another 2-3 years
Pickett informed the Melbourne match committee this week that he would join retiring teammates Nathan Brown and Clint Bizzell in their send-off game. The 30-year-old, who was due to come out of contract at the end of the season, will play his 204th game on Sunday.
In two years with the Demons, he has managed 28 matches. He also played 55 for Port Adelaide and 120 for the Kangaroos after making his debut in 1997.
Pickett's season has been marred by a lack of fitness and a mid-season club suspension for breaking team rules.
He was fined $5000 by the Demons and suspended for a month from playing at the elite level, and given an ultimatum by Melbourne just two matches short of his 200-game milestone.
The Demons became aware of a problem when Pickett sent a text message to coach Neale Daniher on the eve of Melbourne's round-seven match against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, requesting that he be withdrawn after admitting to drinking alcohol. Pickett had been named as an emergency.
Part of his penalty was that he had to play at least four games with VFL affiliate Sandringham before being considered again for senior selection.
Pickett had a horror start to 2007, first restricted by a hamstring problem in the pre-season, then by an illness to his mother in Western Australia, as well as being dogged by a weight problem. He has played only eight senior games this season.
Melbourne rushed him back in round four because of its long injury list, but his fitness levels were way below peak condition. Pickett won the AFL's rising star award in 1998 and won All-Australian selection the following season. He was a member of the 1999 Kangaroos premiership side.
He also won the Norm Smith Medal as best on the ground in Port Adelaide's 2004 grand final win against the Brisbane Lions.
He was initially a bargain for the Roos, selected in the 1996 national draft with pick No.67.
However, his career started to stagnate in his final season with Port Adelaide when he was suspended for six matches for making high contact in a pre-season fixture against Adelaide in the first case heard under the revamped tribunal system.
The Demons are expected to announce his retirement today.
Cant say im all that happy about it he still has alot to offer the club and on his day would be in the best 10 players at the club now i think he could have played another 2-3 years
