There was plenty of pace and excitement about Kysaiah Pickett during 2021. He was always dangerous near goal, in packs and even flying for marks and often applied enormous pressure forcing opposition turnovers.

Date of Birth: 2 June, 2001
Height: 170cm
Weight: 67kg

Games MFC 2021: 25
Career Total: 39

Goals MFC 2021: 40
Career Total: 47

Brownlow Medal Votes 2021: 2
Premiership Player

Kysaiah Pickett what a great small forward is he, brings so much pressure, skill and magic to the team and can kick goals from any angle. Loved watching Kozzie this year bought so much joy to us supporters absolutely love his aggression at the ball and the man, skilful and tigerish.💕❤️💙

Already an all time MFC LEGEND in 2 years. Will be better for longer than the original Wiz and has unparalleled dance moves and tricks. We are incredibly lucky to have him not only because of his skills, toughness and smarts but he seems like a genuine fantastic kid. His 2 x 1 step 50 metre goals v PA broke their back and steadied our ship.

1 Premiership down 3 to go Koz!

Edited October 31, 20213 yr by Wizard of Koz

Kozzie Ardiles. 

 

Just love his excitement. 
 

Our Kozzy is a ⭐️

What a year Kozzy had, 40 goals as a second-year small forward is unbelievable. He's the closest thing to Cyril since Cyril and is in for a fantastic career. So excited that he plays for the Dees, he will be a human highlight reel for years

Certainly an excitement machine ….. even though he had few possessions in the GF and didn’t share in the goal fest his pressure was enormous and contributed to the cause, and remember he also occupied a defender’s attention. 
A great season and a massive contribution to our success.  Bought into the team first mantra. 

11 hours ago, monoccular said:

Certainly an excitement machine ….. even though he had few possessions in the GF and didn’t share in the goal fest his pressure was enormous and contributed to the cause, and remember he also occupied a defender’s attention. 
A great season and a massive contribution to our success.  Bought into the team first mantra. 

agreed. lets not forget 3 goals in the qualifying and 3 in the preliminary. He was a key reason throughout the year for our improvement. Had to go home for him mums funeral for quite a while and came back in super nick for round 1 which was an excellent sign. Got himself super fit was a key reason our vast for improvement in the first half of the year.

 

the skys the limit, if he gets a big tank watch out.

He has had his one obligatory year of performing better than the AA squad, so now they will take notice in 2022. I have no doubt he will be in the AA squad next year and hopefully cement his position in it for the better part of a decade. 

Cameron, Papley and Greene were the only smalls to kick more goals that him this year, and they all play one-out in the goal square at different times (and are 5-8 years older than him). It just feels like Kozzie has the world in front of him and wants to be a great. 

I love Weightman and Serong looks like a gun player, but Taylor essentially bucking all the form guides and saying "this is our man" was incredible. Just as good as the pick 3 on Jackson. Damien Barrett asking Twoomey if there was 'group think' now in recruiting and Twoomey tended to agree. Feels like Taylor is the only one who hasn't got that message. Everyone else: "Weightman is the no. 1 small in the draft" Taylor: "nah - this kid that the media has ranked in the 50s is". Kozzie: "Cody, hold my beer".

I posted this after Jordan Lewis compared him to Cyril on SEN last January:

"Ah, pre-season. At the same age, Cyril had been one of the best afield in a premiership team. Not to take anything away from Kozzie, but geez that's an unhelpful comparison. I never get the 'Cyril was overrated' crowd. If he's overrated, so is every other small forward to ever play the game. Sure it was infuriating listening to BT et al wet their pants with excitement every time he went near it, but he was genuinely one of my favourite all time non-demons to watch, and saved his absolute best for finals. Mark of a true champion."

Turns out Lewis was spot on. 2nd in the comp for tackles inside 50 (behind ANB), and 40 goals for a second year small forward is virtually unprecedented. Statistically, he's tracking ahead of Betts and Rioli at the same age. He's going to dominate the comp for the next decade. Wouldn't be shocked if he becomes the first modern small forward to win a Coleman.

 

Cyril kicked 40 goals twice in his career, That's it, in 11 seasons.

Kozzie has done it once. Its a great achievement and he has the potential to be better than Cyril. Particularly if we can pinch a couple more flags.

People forget that Kozzie was an elite junior talent but has had to learn how to play a defensive team orientated game. That he has done it in his second year is a massive credit to him and the club. Many talents like that often pfaff around for a few years getting by on outrageous talent but Kozzie has put in an amazing amount of hard work to get to this level.

He lost his mother and spent some 6-7 weeks back in South Australia over the summer where plenty here worried about him coming back looking like Austin Wonaemirri after a few sessions on the turtles. But Kozzie was working hard every day, training his bum off with Norwood.

That he came back in outstanding form is an amazing effort and shows a lot of mental strength.

We have a beauty here. he may not have touched the ball a lot in the GF but if you look at his pressure and work rate it was off the charts.

 

 

Just what we have been missing from our attack and them some.

Not only an excellent goal sneak but he brings the pressure up fwd as well.

The second-year goal tallies for some of the best small forwards in recent years: 

 

Stephen Milne: 50

Kysaiah Pickett: 40

Tom Papley: 30

Liam Ryan (mature recruit): 30

Cyril Rioli: 21

Eddie Betts: 20

Toby Greene: 4

 

What a special talent we have. Can't wait to see what this man can produce over a decade-long career in the red+blue.

5 hours ago, Doggas front teeth said:

The second-year goal tallies for some of the best small forwards in recent years: 

 

Stephen Milne: 50

Kysaiah Pickett: 40

Tom Papley: 30

Liam Ryan (mature recruit): 30

Cyril Rioli: 21

Eddie Betts: 20

Toby Greene: 4

 

What a special talent we have. Can't wait to see what this man can produce over a decade-long career in the red+blue.

Some talent there. I really hope he plays his whole career with us. (As well as your mate)

2 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Some talent there. I really hope he plays his whole career with us. (As well as your mate)

And I'll bet Kossie has saved at  least 10 more goals by his tackling than any other of those forwards maybe except for Cyril.

As a club that has a comparably small membership, we are currently in a wonderful position to encourage new members.  With a premiership, Gawn, Petracca, Oliver and Pickett just about all tastes and dreams are covered.  

Of all those I think Kozzie is just about the most likely to lock kids on for life, in the same way Farmer did 25 or so years ago.

This kid (not meant as a derogatory term, more a reflection of his tender years) is excitement central when he is near to the ball or ha it in his hands, either in attack or defending. He did step up this season from last year and I can see a lot of room for development of his game. 

Besides the fact that I think he will build more of a tank over the next couple of years I think he will also build an awareness that will lead to him being even more effective as an attacking force. I saw this a little more a this season went on. he really delivered some excellent inside 50s kicks that he had not looked like doing in the earlier part of the season. He has all of the tools and it looks like he is learning to use them most effectively.

Hope he can stay around for his footy life with us. Is a beauty and will get better over the next few years.

Hasn’t taking a real hanger yet but i feel like it not far away. 
 

kid is a gem and his perceived pressure is a unmeasurable stat that is worth mentioning 

 

On 11/12/2021 at 9:29 PM, Rocknroll said:

Hasn’t taking a real hanger yet but i feel like it not far away. 
 

kid is a gem and his perceived pressure is a unmeasurable stat that is worth mentioning 

Yep. I reckon not a few defenders are afraid of his choosing speed and I'm sure it makes them nervous. 

There were at least two goals in the GF that came from his play or pressure. Spargo's in the first quarter, and Langdon's in the last following the passes by Pickett > Fritsch (boundary) > Langdon

1 hour ago, mauriesy said:

There were at least two goals in the GF that came from his play or pressure. Spargo's in the first quarter, and Langdon's in the last following the passes by Pickett > Fritsch (boundary) > Langdon

Don't forget his bump on Hunter when Petracca does a Daicos

After watching all those goals, I don't know if he kicks left or right foot. 

Gets the same distance with both and snaps equally off either foot.  

Just brilliant!

3 hours ago, mauriesy said:

There were at least two goals in the GF that came from his play or pressure. Spargo's in the first quarter, and Langdon's in the last following the passes by Pickett > Fritsch (boundary) > Langdon

 

spargos

trac, push on dunkley gave trac no pressure to kick 

brayshaw from the pass from bowey, kossie dislodged the ball from weightman , led to bowey getting ball 

 

 

23 hours ago, Wrecker46 said:

Don't forget his bump on Hunter when Petracca does a Daicos

I'll remember that bump until the day I cark it. Absolutely glorious.