Richmond feared ‘enormity’ of Marlion Pickett’s debut could impact Grand Final preparations
One of the great stories of last year’s Grand Final almost didn’t happen due to Richmond’s fears the enormity of naming Marlion Pickett to debut could have on its preparations.
Richmond
Don't miss out on the headlines from Richmond. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Richmond nearly baulked at playing AFL Grand Final hero Marlion Pickett because it feared the “enormity” of a media circus that might distract the club and its players.
But having watched Pickett’s flawless pre-season, senior club adviser Neil Balme believes he can carve out a special life-changing career at 28.
Balme said the club had wanted to play Pickett for some time last year but realised a stunning selection bombshell in Grand Final week was a call few had ever made before.
Only when the club’s senior players told Damien Hardwick that Pickett was so unflappable he would take a debut in his stride did the match committee pull the trigger.
Pickett realises he has the chance to alter his life with a prolonged multi-year stint at Tigerland that would prove he is more than a one-hit wonder.
“He has been amazing (over summer), really. Better than you can ever hope. He has got such a wonderful attitude towards his opportunity,” Balme told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“He has been outstanding, done everything asked of him. He will be very, very good.
“He doesn’t make any noise about it at all but he does everything. He just pushes himself, he trains well, he has got a lovely balance about his game, he knows the other side of the coin.
“It’s a great opportunity for him and his family and the opportunity is there to keep playing senior footy.”
The Tigers had considered playing mid-season draftee Pickett earlier but after Jack Graham dislocated his shoulder and Pickett won the VFL best-afield award they again reconsidered their stance.
“Funnily enough during the week, it’s easy to say now, but I had been promoting him for some time and I thought it was a no-brainer. But ‘Dimma’ (coach Damien Hardwick) particularly had to get his mind right. What does it look like? Are there are other kids that might have an opportunity?” Balme said.
“The sad bit was Jack Graham misses and there is an opportunity, what are we going to do? “And we almost got frightened off by the enormity of the story — do we want to have to deal with this story?
MORE AFL NEWS:
Conor McKenna remains tight-lipped on returning from Ireland
St Kilda scores first AFLW win against Melbourne after Caitlin Greiser long bomb
Majak Daw makes incredible comeback in Marsh Community Series
Every KFC SuperCoach score from the Western Bulldogs’ Marsh Series win against North Melbourne
James Worpel opens up on his work experience week in a juvenile justice centre
“This is too big a story and then we said, ‘You just have to judge it on how he has played,’ and the simple answer is we should give him a chance.
“Damien spoke to quite a few of the players and they were unequivocal about the fact he would handle it. You can rely on him playing, he won't get carried away by it at all and that was the information to get back, so Damien said, ‘Yes this is the way to go’.”
Pickett’s 22 disposals and a goal — set up by former housemate Dustin Martin — included a glorious blind turn out of the centre square in the premiership win over Greater Western Sydney.
The Tigers know their quest for three flags in four years will be extremely hard to achieve, but Balme said there were no signs of complacency.
Young Tigers pushing for opportunities after missing last year’s triumph include Graham, Sydney Stack, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Mabior Chol, Noah Balta, Callum Coleman-Jones and veteran Kamdyn McIntosh.
“From our position we couldn’t be in a better spot. The attitude of senior players is outstanding, the attitude of the coaches is outstanding,” Balme said.
“We probably have about eight or 10 kids we want to play who aren’t getting a game and there aren’t eight or 10 in the team that we don’t want to play. So we are in a very strong position from that point of view.
“But that will be the challenge, to give everyone an opportunity so nothing is guaranteed, but we are in a good position.”