Derek Kickett facts for kids

Derek Thomas Kickett (born 6 October 1962) is a former Australian rules football player. He played for many different clubs during his career. These included teams in the VFL/AFL, WAFL, and SANFL.

Early Football Days

Derek Kickett comes from a family of talented footballers. Some of his relatives who also played in the AFL include Dale Kickett and Lance "Buddy" Franklin. They are both his nephews. Other nephews are Byron Pickett and Jarrod Garlett. A well-known cousin of Derek Kickett is Nicky Winmar.

Kickett started playing junior football at Central District in South Australia. He was part of their Under-19s team that won a championship in 1981. He began his senior career in Western Australia with the West Perth team. In 1984, he was their top goal scorer.

In 1986, Kickett moved to the Claremont team. He quickly became a key player for them. In 1987, Claremont had an amazing season, winning 21 games in a row and taking home their sixth championship. That same year, Kickett received 46 votes for the Sandover Medal. This was the most votes of any player. However, he could not win the medal because he had been suspended during the season. If he had been eligible, he would have won by a large number of votes.

After his time with Claremont, Kickett returned to Central District for one season in 1988. In 1989, he joined the North Melbourne team in the Victorian Football League. He played there for one season before moving on.

Time with Essendon

In 1990, Derek Kickett joined the Essendon Football Club. He played there for four seasons and became a very popular player. Fans loved his confident style, his high jumps to catch the ball, his ability to dodge opponents, and his powerful long kicks. He was especially known for his "torpedo punt," a special type of kick.

Kickett played in every game in 1992 and 1993. He played all the way up to the preliminary final in 1993. However, he was famously left out of the team for the 1993 AFL Grand Final by coach Kevin Sheedy. Essendon went on to win the Grand Final without him. This decision is still one of the most talked-about choices in Sheedy's coaching career.

Sheedy has always said that Kickett's performance in the finals was not strong enough. He also felt that Kickett's fitness might have been a weakness against their opponent, Carlton. After being left out, Kickett immediately left the club. He did not watch the Grand Final or celebrate with his teammates. Kickett and Sheedy did not speak to each other again for 25 years, until 2018.

Moving to Sydney and Retirement

After leaving Essendon, Kickett was chosen by the Sydney Swans team. He played three seasons with Sydney. His very last AFL game was in the 1996 AFL Grand Final, where Sydney lost to North Melbourne.

In 1997, Kickett returned to the WAFL and played for the Subiaco team before he retired from professional football.

Since retiring, Kickett has played in several E. J. Whitten Legends Games, which are charity matches. In 2007, he helped run programs for AFL Victoria. These programs worked with Indigenous children to help them develop their football skills.

In 2017, Derek Kickett was honored by being added to the West Australian Football Hall of Fame.