AFL Grand Final 2019: Marlion Pickett’s AFL debut would come 99 years after Billy James

William “Billy” James is the AFL’S least known hero, a man plucked from country obscurity to play his role in Richmond’s 1920 Premiership side before his career ended in horror circumstances.

As Richmond decides whether to roll the dice and choose Marlion Pickett for his debut game in Saturday’s Grand Final, they can go back 99 years in their own history to find a successful precedent.

In 1920 the Tigers had finished on top of the nine-team VFL ladder, only to surprisingly lose their first final to third-placed Carlton.

They required inspiration, and in captain-coach Dan Minogue they had just the man for the job, someone who was prepared to swing a shock selection in an attempt to upset hated rivals Collingwood at the MCG on October 2.

Enter William Roy “Billy” James, a diminutive 165cm forward pocket/rover, who the previous Saturday had played with the Kyabram Bombers in the Goulburn Valley League.

How Minogue and his Richmond brains trust came to know of James has been lost in history, unlike his impact in the VFL Grand Final where he kicked a vital last-quarter goal in a tight contest that ended in Richmond’s favour.

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You would have thought it may have kickstarted a vibrant VFL career for the 20-year-old James, but he never wore the Tiger colours again.

It became one of football’s finest myths that James’ budding VFL career was ended when he was accidentally shot in the foot during a post-season rabbiting trip.

But Big Footy poster Rob Harris has pointed out the accident instead happened in 1925.

Harris posted a story from page 12 of the January 16, 1925, edition of The Argus which stated that James had been accidentally shot while rabbiting with Kyabram secretary D.L.Nuttall.

James then spent three months recovering in the Mooroopna Hospital.