Kane Cornes calls for lengthy Kysaiah Pickett ban after ugly hit

Media personality Kane Cornes has called for an AFL star to be handed a lengthy ban after delivering a nasty hit on a rival.

Kysaiah Pickett is in real strife

Melbourne Demons livewire Kysaiah Pickett is facing a nervous wait after playing arguably the best game of his career on Saturday night.

Pickett played a staring role with 19 disposals and four goals in a game where he was thrown into the middle of the ground more than last season.

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But it was a moment of madness in the second quarter that could see him facing a stint on the sidelines.

As Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith launched a kick inside 50 he was laid out by Pickett.

Pickett left the ground as he launched into a bump that saw his shoulder make heavy impact with Smith’s neck and chin region. The impact of the hit immediately flattened Smith, but in good news for Pickett, Smith got right back to his feet and carried on playing.

Despite that, calls have been levelled for Pickett to be handed a lengthy ban with Kane Cornes leading the charge.

Watch Pickett’s brutal bump on Smith in the video player above

Pickett was placed on report straight away.

On Sunday morning on AFL Media’s The Round so Far, Cornes labelled the bump “one of the most dangerous things I’ve seen on a footy field in a while”.

“It absolutely warrants more than two weeks, it’s a three or four week incident,” the former Port Adelaide player said.

Cornes continued his charge for Pickett and the action to be stamped out of the game on Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show.

“This is as vicious an incident as you’re going to see for a long time, that’s a human missile there Kozzie Pickett,” Cornes said.

“Launching himself really dangerously, he chooses to bump he leaves the ground and he launches. He’s really lucky that Smith got up.”

AFL media veteran Damian Barrett then weighed in on what Match Review Officer Michael Christian may determine from the incident and said the current period the game finds itself in could play a factor.

“It comes down to intent as always, whether it’s careless or intentional. Given that it was in play it’s probably careless which gets it down to one week,” Barrett said.

“We’re in a period of this game where there is a raft of litigation hitting the league, there may well be an argument that the intent of that, while in play, was worse than other incidents you see out of play.

“As such I’d be surprised if he’s not out for two weeks given that.”

"This is as vicious an incident as you're going to see for a long time."

The panel reacts to Kysaiah Pickett's bump on Bailey Smith. #9AFLSFS | @Channel9pic.twitter.com/8KrChFA32g

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) March 18, 2023

Michael Christian will hand down his ruling on Pickett’s hit along with Lance Franklin’s bump on Gold Coast Suns defender Sam Collins on Sunday.

Christian has the power to upgrade the force of the bump from low or medium to high under the potential to cause serious injury clause.

Despite Smith not being injured from the hit, the intent of the bump could see Pickett handed a two-week ban if assessed as careless conduct, high contact and high impact.

If given a two-week suspension, Pickett would miss two key matches against the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans.

Originally published as Kane Cornes calls for lengthy Kysaiah Pickett ban after ugly hit