Swans draftee lauds best mate and new Dee Kysaiah Pickett
Swans draftee Dylan Stephens would hear new Melbourne small forward Kysaiah Pickett breathing down his neck and knew he was in strife. And he says there’s more to the 170cm youngster than just his tackling.
Melbourne
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Sydney Swans draftee Dylan Stephens would hear new Melbourne small forward Kysaiah Pickett breathing behind him on the field and knew he was in strife.
The two youngsters, who are best friends, have played against each other and together many times over the past few years.
Stephens, who was pick No.5 in this year’s AFL National Draft, quickly learned he needed to act quickly when Pickett was lurking in the vicinity wearing an opposition jersey.
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“I think he’s absolutely ready for it (the AFL),” Stephens said.
“For him, what he can do with the ball is amazing, but if he doesn’t get his hands on it as much as he would have liked he can impact the game in other ways defensively.
“He can clean people up, tackle, pressure, and even for me playing against him, you just know he could be anywhere.
“He’ll catch you in no time and his presence, you hear him breathing behind you and start to panic and that impacts your skills.”
Don’t be fooled by Pickett’s 170cm stature.
The teenager, who was the bolter of the draft after being snapped up by the Demons at pick No.12, likes to hurt opponents and has done so on many occasions.
Although, Stephens said he thankfully had never been cleaned up by his mate on the field.
“I think he looked after me,” Stephens laughed.
“A couple of times he’s had me and lifted me a little bit and then just took me down a little bit.
“If I were anyone else I think he would have gone straight through me.”
Stephens and Pickett were SANFL opponents, but became close after first playing in the under-16 national championships together.
He said it would not take Pickett long to find his feet at Melbourne.
“As a person, at first he is quiet and that’s how he’ll come across,” he said.
“But when you get to know him he comes out of his shell a little bit.
“And when he does, the kid doesn’t shut up.
“He doesn’t stop talking.”
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Pickett is the nephew of former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide star Byron Pickett.
The 2004 Norm Smith Medallist and two-time premiership player said earlier this year to “expect the unexpected” from Kysaiah.
“He plays differently than me but he’s got it all, a lot of tricks, the whole package,” Byron told the Adelaide Advertiser.
“He can run, jump, kick goals, tackle and take a big screamer. He’s not a big kid in size (170cm, 67kg) but he’s big in action.
“When he is around the ball, you can expect something to happen.”