Dale Kickett facts for kids

Dale Mathew Kickett (born May 4, 1968) is a former Australian rules footballer. He played for five different teams in the Australian Football League (AFL) between 1990 and 2002. These teams were Fitzroy, West Coast, St Kilda, Essendon, and Fremantle. Playing for so many clubs means he shares the record for playing with the most VFL/AFL teams!

Dale Kickett's Football Journey

Early Days in Football

Dale grew up in Western Australia. He is related to other famous AFL players, like Lance "Buddy" Franklin.

Dale started playing football in 1984 in a small country town called Tammin. Later, he moved to Perth. He played a few games for Swan Districts' junior team. His uncle, Larry Kickett, who coached Claremont's junior team, asked him to switch clubs. Dale then played his first senior game for Claremont in the WAFL in 1988. He was very successful there. He was the top goal scorer for Claremont in 1989 and helped them win the premiership that year.

Playing for Different Teams

In 1990, Dale was chosen by Fitzroy to play in the AFL. He played 15 games in his first year. However, living in the big city of Melbourne was hard for him, as he had grown up in a small town.

After one season, he moved to the West Coast Eagles. He only played two games for them because it was hard to get into their strong senior team. While on the reserve list, he played for Claremont again. He had a great year, winning his second premiership with the club and earning the Simpson Medal. This award is for the best player in the grand final.

St Kilda was the third AFL club to give Dale a chance in 1992. He had a good season, playing in 21 games. But again, he only stayed for one year and returned to Western Australia.

In 1993, Dale played only WAFL football for Claremont. He helped them win their third premiership and won his second Simpson Medal. This year was important because he changed his playing position. He moved from playing in the half-forward line to the half-back line.

Essendon saw his new skills at half-back and signed him. Dale stayed in Western Australia until the start of the 1994 season. He played eight games for Essendon but, once more, only stayed for one season.

Fremantle Dockers Star

The new Fremantle Football Club joined the AFL, and Dale's former coach from Claremont, Gerard Neesham, became their coach. This was a big reason for Dale to join Fremantle. He had always found it hard to settle in Victoria.

Dale spent seven years with the Dockers, which was the most stable time in his career. He became a key player in Fremantle's defense. He finished second in the Doig Medal (the club's best and fairest award) in 1995 and 1996. Then, he won the award in 1997! In 1999, Dale became the first player to play 100 games for Fremantle.

Dale was involved in a famous game in 2000, known as the Demolition Derby. During this game, there were many disagreements between players. Dale received a long suspension for some actions during the match.

In 2002, injuries to his back and leg started to slow him down. He played only three games before being dropped due to illness. He found it hard to get back into the team. In June, he announced he was retiring from the AFL. As a tribute, he was given a special farewell match against Port Adelaide. Even though his team lost, the crowd and the Port Adelaide team stayed on the field to celebrate Dale's career. This game also meant Dale joined the "AFL 200 club," having played 181 league games, 17 pre-season games, and 2 State of Origin games. He played one more game for Claremont in 2003 before retiring completely. When you combine his AFL games with his 81 WAFL games for Claremont, he is also a member of the Western Australia Two Hundred Club.