Kysaiah Pickett ‘homesick’ as fresh trade rumour rocks Demons to their core

The Melbourne Demons’ season from hell could get so much worse after yet another star was linked with a bombshell exit.

Pickett has been linked with a return home. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Demons’ season from hell could seemingly get a whole lot worse with the latest whispers that star forward Kysaiah Pickett is looking for an exit.

With Christian Petracca, midfielder Alex Neal-Bullen and key defender Adam Tomlinson both heavily linked to trades, the latest rumour could hit the under-fire club even harder.

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After winning the premiership in 2021, the Demons have crashed out of the last two playoffs in straight sets with cultural rumours persisting around the club after a series of scandals in recent seasons.

But after missing the finals in 2024, it appears the cracks are showing with a potential exodus of players.

Seven’s Mitch Cleary has reported the 23-year-old Pickett has told the club he’s homesick in his exit meeting with coach Simon Goodwin.

Pickett did sign a four-year deal at Melbourne in April last year, which should take him through to the end of the 2027 season, which leaves the ball in the club’s court.

But everyone would be familiar with similar situations in recent seasons.

Pickett with head coach Simon Goodwin. Photo by Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Pickett welcomed his first child this year, and is believed to be strongly family focused, having been born in South Australia and growing up in Western Australia before playing his junior football back in SA.

The report states he has family connections in WA, while Port Adelaide are believed to be fans of the youngster.

The AFL trade period is still over a month away but the issues have been heating up at the Demons.

The Petracca issue has been grabbing most of the headlines, despite Melbourne stating he’s going nowhere.

In 2021, Petracca signed a monster seven-year extension worth reportedly more than $1 million per season until the end of 2029.

But it’s been reported Petracca has been angling for an exit, with a “nuclear” option revealed for the 28-year-old to force a trade.

The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph revealed on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle that Petracca could use a process through the league’s collective bargaining agreement where the AFL would step in to broker a trade through mediation.

“He will do anything he wants in the next six weeks to get himself outside of the Melbourne Football Club, he’s prepared to watch the world burn if it gets him to the club of his choice,” Ralph said.

It all started with Petracca. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Petracca had been linked to Carlton and Collingwood, although both clubs have all but ruled out a play for the Demons superstar.

Tomlinson has also been linked to a trade due to lack of opportunity at senior level, SEN’s Sam Edmund reported.

The 31-year-old has played a combined 32 AFL games in the past four seasons and hasn’t played more than 13 senior games in a season since 2019.

Neal-Bullen has already officially requested a trade home to Adelaide for family reasons.

Ex-Geelong skipper Cameron Ling was left seeing red on the weekend when the Demons added Neal-Bullen onto their banner farewelling the retiring Ben Brown.

“Maybe I’m just getting grumpy in my old age, but the Melbourne banner said, ‘A big farewell to Alex Neal-Bullen and Ben Brown’,” Ling said on ABC.

“I find that absurd, ridiculous and outrageous. He is choosing to go play for another club.”