I must say I’m becoming a little dubious as to the veracity of Ralph’s claims in his post on X… as far as I can tell, nothing has yet appeared on the AFL site, and they’re usually all over this kind of thing in a flash.  Could he have gone off a little too quickly on this one, or am I missing something?

Edited February 4Feb 4 by hardtack

Easy enough for one of these *cough* journalists to call him out about it at the next press conference he does.  

Has anyone bothered to go past the paywall and get the full article though?

 

Ralph: Kozzie’s Dockers texts could mean everything — or nothing

 

sounds like a clickbait beat up with a misleading headline

Edited February 4Feb 4 by MrReims

18 minutes ago, MrReims said:

Has anyone bothered to go past the paywall and get the full article though?

 

Ralph: Kozzie’s Dockers texts could mean everything — or nothing

 

sounds like a clickbait beat up with a misleading headline

“Kysaiah Pickett has been texting his mates who play for Fremantle telling them he will be in Dockers colours next year.

That is a fact as he prepares to head west for the frenzy that will be created by his Indigenous All-Stars appearance next week.

To suggest anything more is pure conjecture as multiple clubs try to get to the bottom of the enigma that is the 23-year-old Demons’ matchwinning premiership player.

Fresh from a fourth placing in Melbourne’s best-and-fairest last year, Pickett has been in Darwin in recent days – a city he would ideally call home, if only the city had an AFL team.

Instead, Pickett lives in Melbourne after spending his childhood across two states – an early stint in Western Australia before living with relative Byron Pickett in Adelaide, before being drafted to Victoria.

Once again this summer, Pickett has been at the forefront of headlines over a move to the Dockers, fanning the flames after liking a social media post about a potential move.

Melbourne is used to this predicament – Pickett spends time with rival AFL players outside Victoria during the off-season; they whisper sweet nothings about him playing alongside them.

Last year it was Port Adelaide that came hard, given the links to good mate Quinton Narkle, after the Cats’ midfielder was signed by the Power in the 2023 mid-season draft.

Only time will tell whether 2025 is Groundhog Day or something much more substantial.

Narkle has since moved to play with Fremantle. Pickett is also friends with new Dockers recruit Shai Bolton and Michael Walters as well as his Demons’ premiership teammate Luke Jackson.

Narkle’s partner, Taylah Cubillo, is the sister of Pickett’s partner Ardu Cubillo. Both couples have been blessed with children since August 2023, which has only strengthened the bond.

But there is no guarantee Narkle will be at the Dockers in 2026, with both couples keen to end up back in Darwin post-football no matter where the players finish their playing careers.

Fremantle and West Coast have made clear their interest in Pickett across the years – and recently – as the Demons rebuffed any trade prospects when the small forward told coach Simon Goodwin he was, at times, homesick in their exit meeting last year.

So Melbourne will wrap its arms around him with support again and hope when his three-week AFL suspension expires, he again falls back in love with the city and the club.

If the season turns pear-shaped, there is some chance he could officially ask for a trade, but the Demons could just as easily rebuff it. There are no guarantees. He shares a strong friendship with Goodwin, but the senior coach is not certain to be at the club past this season.

He is hugely motivated for the Indigenous game in WA, but that three-week ban is problematic because it is hard to get up for a season in which his first game for Melbourne is on April 4.

The very best-case scenario is Pickett helps lead this team towards a deep finals run that allows the Demons to hold firm on a contract through to 2027. 

But Melbourne has perhaps its three most talented players in Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Pickett all under a degree of doubt about their futures past this season.

Oliver and Petracca seem motivated to prove their critics wrong and Melbourne would reason that Pickett has always performed despite uncertainty about his future.

So that flurry of texts to his Dockers mates could mean everything or nothing, depending on how the Demons’ season of reckoning pans out across the next eight months.“

What surprises me most is it wasn't Michael Warner that wrote the story. His January hit piece was due. 

Hearing rumours we've chucked Narkle on the rookie list and given Luker Kentfield the chop

If the rumor is legit (which I gravely doubt), then no dramas Floggers. At the end of 2025 he'll be a two-time premiership player, under-contract and have kicked 200 career goals. So, we'll take:

• Pavlova's kids and grandchildren,
• Andrew Brayshaw and Sean Darcy,
• Harley Reid and Oscar Allen (not our problem how you get them to us - just make it happen),
• Your first round picks for '25, 26 and '27, and
• Credit for another botched trading period for the Floggers.

Edited February 4Feb 4 by Queanbeyan Demon
Typo

4 hours ago, Deefender said:

Kozzie should have a chat to Jeff Farmer about moving to Fremantle from Melbourne.

and jesse hogan

Could Kossy just be playing with the media?

The full article makes me feel a lot better.

 

Just as a BTW, I see that the sisters' name is Cubillo - a very famous name in legal circles, from the Stolen Generations case ( which unfortunately failed). 

10 minutes ago, Neil Crompton said:

Could Kossy just be playing with the media?

Could be an element of this, however it does more harm than good... how is the club going to sell memberships if there is constant speculation about their 3 best players wanting to leave. Imo the players need to state their intentions, after all there is a season to play in 25 before any of this

1 hour ago, Neil Crompton said:

Could Kossy just be playing with the media?

I don't see who that benefits though. Just makes him look very unprofessional. 

I see Bolton and Narkle have now liked the foxfooty instagram post about this article.

So either Kozzy and all his close mates are having a laugh, or he is just trying to say as much as he can publicly without actually saying it to put pressure on the club. 

I don't think I've ever seen a player this open about trade speculation, especially at this stage of the year. Even Bailey Smith was more towards the end of the year, and he was uncontracted. 

1 hour ago, Neil Crompton said:

Could Kossy just be playing with the media?

Denial

Have seen the alleged texts. I’m pretty sure Kozzie is referring to playing in the all stars game vs Freo on the 15th. 

Really a bit over the media - create the fire - stoke the fire

Really a bit over contracts not being contracts.

Really a bit over players not coming out and killing rumours if there’s nothing in it.

Really over homesickness being so geographically limited that it is a suburb not a state.

Come on season start - let’s watch footy.

21 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Have seen the alleged texts. I’m pretty sure Kozzie is referring to playing in the all stars game vs Freo on the 15th. 

Let’s hope he cleans someone up on the 15th

1 hour ago, rpfc said:

Let’s hope he cleans someone up on the 15th

You hope he risks a further suspension?

A lot can change over the course of the season it’s way to early to be worrying about this now, fact is at the end of the day he is contracted till the end of 27, freo are also upto there neck to get Chad Warner next season as well and to be fair any deal for Kozzie would be secondary to that, this will highly limit what they could offer us to entertain the trade and all thats not even accounting for what Kozzie wants. I would trust if we do a trade we will be doing so at a premium price.

7 hours ago, Rednblueriseing said:

Could be an element of this, however it does more harm than good... how is the club going to sell memberships if there is constant speculation about their 3 best players wanting to leave. Imo the players need to state their intentions, after all there is a season to play in 25 before any of this

All the more important for memberships to be renewed or new ones purchased!! 

I am still waiting for the 10,000 members/fans that didn’t turn up for the Port and GWS Sat night games at the end of the year to rejoin or join their membership this year.

Clearly under 40,000 at Feb ist week our potential membership is about 50,000 to  55,000 unless we win early games and are showing a much improved game plan ( which I fully expect both to happen BTW) 

And D/Lers please don’t write in and waste your time and try and give a reason for missing those games I wont believe it’s understandable in any way. 

Pure lack of Demon Spirit is what it was !!! Clear and simple. 

1 minute ago, 58er said:

All the more important for memberships to be renewed or new ones purchased!! 

I am still waiting for the 10,000 members/fans that didn’t turn up for the Port and GWS Sat night games at the end of the year to rejoin or join their membership this year.

Clearly under 40,000 at Feb ist week our potential membership is about 50,000 to  55,000 unless we win early games and are showing a much improved game plan ( which I fully expect both to happen BTW) 

And D/Lers please don’t write in and waste your time and try and give a reason for missing those games I wont believe it’s understandable in any way. 

Pure lack of Demon Spirit is what it was !!! Clear and simple. 

Ie Don’t embarrass yourself by outing yourself.  

5 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Have seen the alleged texts. I’m pretty sure Kozzie is referring to playing in the all stars game vs Freo on the 15th. 

Sorry ET it is stated next year about joining Freo. Or are you delusional ?

It clearly needs to stop and does not pass any pub test in any shape or form. . 

Clearly we all love Kossie but this is anti Demon Spirit and needs to be called out for what it is. It is even more brazen than Bailey Smith’s virtual silence on his Cats move while injured and receiving help from the Dogs accordingly. 

8 hours ago, Demonstone said:

You hope he risks a further suspension?

Considering he is currently suspended and is playing in a game he isn’t available for - sure why not.

5 hours ago, 58er said:

Sorry ET it is stated next year about joining Freo. Or are you delusional ?

No, that’s not what was texted. That’s how Ralph reported the matter. 

2 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

No, that’s not what was texted. That’s how Ralph reported the matter. 

can you provide exact text, et?

2 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

No, that’s not what was texted. That’s how Ralph reported the matter. 

Have you actually seen the texts? I’m not sure if you’re serious or joking with your posts… that’s a compliment, I enjoy your jokes