Marlion Pickett does the unthinkable with 2.08m AFL giant

Marlion Pickett faces a sizeable disadvantage compared to the AFL’s best ruckmen but the Tigers star has a habit of defying gravity.

Marlion Pickett gets serious airtime.

Marlion Pickett has done it again.

The Richmond star isn’t exactly small, but at 184cm, he’s hardly walking among the giants in a competition full of tall timber.

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That isn’t stopping him making a mockery of the AFL’s big men though.

Earlier this month, Pickett dominated St Kilda’s stand-in ruckmen and on Saturday night he got one over Melbourne’s Max Gawn — although the Demons had the last laugh with a sensational 12.10 (82) to 6.12 (48) win over Damien Hardwick’s troops.

Gawn, widely regarded as the premier ruckman in the league, is 2.08m tall — that’s 24cm further off the ground than Pickett — but he was made to look tiny when the Tigers livewire joined him in the centre circle.

Midway through the second quarter Pickett set up a Richmond shot at goal with some outstanding ruckwork as he climbed all over Gawn’s shoulders to tap the ball to himself and ignite the fuse for an entry inside forward 50.

Pickett channelled his inner Michael Jordan by leaping high off the turf, well above Gawn, and gaining possession for his team, starting a chain that saw Jack Riewoldt mark in front of the sticks.

Riewoldt couldn’t convert, registering only a behind, but the commentators were quick to point out the excellent contribution of his teammate.

“Give Marlion Pickett the credit there,” Matthew Richardson told Channel 7. “That was what he did last week.

“He’s very good at jumping and taking the ball out of the ruck. He tapped it to himself then.

“He did it a lot in the WAFL. Richmond’s been using him that role the last couple of weeks.”

Pickett beat Max Gawn in the ruck 😱 pic.twitter.com/nNFnUGGwFH

— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 24, 2021

Melbourne and Richmond played out a bruising encounter at the MCG as the Tigers faced a serious challenge from a team that has shown its top-four credentials this season.

The Dees took a 17-point lead into halftime and had extended that advantage to 30 by the fourth quarter. They maintained the rage in the final term to complete one of their most memorable wins in recent times.