Kysaiah Pickett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kysaiah Pickett |
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Pickett in April 2025
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Kysaiah Klem Paul Kropinyeri-Pickett | ||
| Nickname(s) | Kozzy | ||
| Date of birth | 2 June 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Port Lincoln, South Australia | ||
| Original team | Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) Port District (AdFL) |
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| Draft | No. 12, 2019 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2020, Melbourne v. West Coast, at Perth Stadium |
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| Position(s) | Small forward / Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Melbourne | ||
| Number | 36 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Kysaiah Pickett (born 2 June 2001) is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Kysaiah is a forward, which means he plays closer to the goal. He is 171 cm (about 5 feet 7 inches) tall and weighs 73 kg.
Kysaiah is related to other famous AFL players. His uncles, Neville Jetta and Byron Pickett, also played for the Demons. He is also a second cousin to Marlion Pickett, who played for Richmond.
In 2020, Kysaiah was nominated for the 2020 AFL Rising Star award. This award celebrates young, talented players in the AFL.
Contents
Early Life and Junior Football
Kysaiah Pickett was born in South Australia. He grew up in Quairading, Western Australia. Later, he moved back to South Australia to live with his uncle, Byron Pickett.
Kysaiah started playing junior football for the Port District team. This team is located in Largs Bay. He then attended Prince Alfred College, where he was a star player on the school's main football team. People thought he was one of the most exciting young players around.
In 2019, Kysaiah played senior football in Adelaide for the Woodville-West Torrens team. He played as a small forward. He was also chosen to play for South Australia's Under 18 team. Many experts believed he would be picked early in the AFL draft. The Melbourne Football Club, which was his uncle Byron's last AFL team, wanted to recruit him.
Melbourne chose Kysaiah Pickett with the 12th pick in the 2019 AFL Draft. He was the second player Melbourne picked that year, after Luke Jackson.
Kysaiah Pickett's AFL Career
Kysaiah Pickett made his first AFL appearance in Round 1 of the 2020 AFL season. This game was against West Coast at Perth Stadium. In his first season, he played 14 games.
He received a 2020 AFL Rising Star nomination in Round 11. This happened after Melbourne won against North Melbourne by 57 points. In that game, Kysaiah kicked a goal and had 12 possessions.
In June 2020, Kysaiah was suspended for one match. This was because he and a teammate broke team rules about health and safety.
Premiership Success in 2021
In 2021, Kysaiah played in all 25 of Melbourne's games. This included their exciting finals series. Kysaiah earned a premiership medal when Melbourne won the 2021 AFL Grand Final. Even though he had fewer possessions in that final game, he was a key part of the team's success.
Recent Seasons and Achievements
Kysaiah played 23 games in the 2022 AFL season for Melbourne. He kicked 41 goals that year. He only missed one game due to health and safety reasons.
In 2023, Kysaiah kicked four goals in Melbourne's first game against the Western Bulldogs. However, he was suspended for two games after a strong tackle on a Bulldogs player.
In September 2023, Kysaiah received a one-match ban for another strong tackle. This tackle was on Patrick Cripps of Carlton. Melbourne lost that game, which meant they had lost four finals games in a row.
In 2024, Kysaiah received his third suspension in just over a year. This was for a tackle on Jake Soligo of Adelaide.
Before the 2025 season, Kysaiah played in the Indigenous All-Stars game. This was a special match against Fremantle. He kicked one goal in their 43-point win.
Career-Best Form and New Contract
Kysaiah reached his best form in the 2025 AFL season. He had an amazing game against Fremantle, kicking five goals and getting 24 disposals. There were some rumors that he might want to move to a club in South Australia or Western Australia.
However, in June 2025, Kysaiah signed a huge seven-year contract extension. This means he will stay with the Melbourne Football Club for nine years in total. The contract is reportedly worth $12.5 million, which is a record-breaking amount in the league.
Personal Life
Kysaiah Pickett is proud of his heritage. He identifies with the Yamatji, Noongar, and Ngarrindjeri nations. His father, Kevin Kropinyeri, designed Melbourne's 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey (jersey). He used traditional Ngarrindjeri art styles for the design.
Statistics
Updated to the end of Round 18 2025.
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2020 | Melbourne | 36 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 62 | 47 | 109 | 17 | 35 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 2021# | Melbourne | 36 | 25 | 40 | 28 | 193 | 103 | 296 | 59 | 87 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 7.7 | 4.1 | 11.8 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 2 |
| 2022 | Melbourne | 36 | 23 | 41 | 18 | 180 | 59 | 239 | 55 | 62 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 7.8 | 2.6 | 10.4 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 4 |
| 2023 | Melbourne | 36 | 23 | 37 | 30 | 193 | 72 | 265 | 58 | 93 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 8.4 | 3.1 | 11.5 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 2 |
| 2024 | Melbourne | 36 | 21 | 36 | 24 | 202 | 64 | 266 | 56 | 75 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 9.6 | 3.0 | 12.7 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 3 |
| 2025 | Melbourne | 36 | 14 | 30 | 22 | 185 | 90 | 275 | 45 | 51 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 13.2 | 6.4 | 19.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 0 |
| Career | 120 | 191 | 135 | 1015 | 435 | 1450 | 290 | 403 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 8.4 | 3.6 | 12.0 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 11 | ||
Honours and Achievements
Team
Individual
- 22under22 team: 2021, 2022, 2023
- Harold Ball Memorial Trophy: 2021
- AFL Rising Star nominee: 2020 (Round 11)
