Pickett’s outstanding form could lead to AFL future

WITH South Fremantle’s traditional NAIDOC Week clash with Claremont taking place this Saturday, one of the Bulldogs Indigenous stars Marlion Pickett has all the tools required to end up in the AFL as early as 2016 according to coach Todd Curley.

Curley is well-equipped to judge as well having played 115 AFL matches with the Western Bulldogs either side of his decorated two-time premiership winning playing WAFL playing career with the West Perth.

Curley’s most recent football involvement before taking over as South Fremantle coach in 2015 was an assistant coach to Mark Harvey at Fremantle as well in the AFL so he knows what it takes for a player to make it on the big stage, and he has no doubt Pickett has all the tools to do just that.

Pickett is now in the middle of an outstanding 2015 season and is a big reason why South Fremantle’s back-line has been effective in not letting in as many goals as previous seasons, and why the Bulldogs are doing well setting up play off half-back.

The 23-year-old originally joined South Fremantle during the 2013 season and had an outstanding second half of the year putting in some strong league performances, including a best on ground performance against grand finalists East Perth at Fremantle Oval.

Pickett then went on to play in the Bulldogs’ reserves premiership of 2013 but his 2014 wasn’t quite as spectacular as he struggled to find the position on the ground that best suited his enormous natural talent.

The arrival of Curley at South Fremantle this season has seen Pickett settle into a role across half-back and the result has been outstanding with him able to provide some enormous run out of the back-line where he can break the lines, and drive the Bulldogs forward.

That has become a feature of the South Fremantle team in 2015 and a big reason why the Bulldogs currently sit in fifth position on the ladder coming into Saturday’s NAIDOC Round clash with Claremont at the Showground.

And Curley’s not the only one to recognise Pickett’s form with him also representing Western Australia in the State game victory over South Australia at the Lathlain Park.

At just 23 years of age, with enormous natural athletic gifts and an ability to read the game and be a real X-factor, Pickett appears to have all the tools to make the jump into the AFL if a club was willing to take a chance on him.

And if they asked for Curley’s opinion, he’d have no trouble recommending an AFL club to watch what he’s done at South Fremantle and to take a chance on him.

“Well he’s got all the attributes that’s for sure to play in the AFL. If any club asked, I’d probably tell them to take a look at the tape and watch every game this year to see for themselves. I think he contributes a lot more than he doesn’t and he’s been fantastic for us, and he’s a great kid,” Curley said.

“He’s been a good player for us all year. He’s had a really good season and his ability to break the lines really helps us, but to allow him to do that he’s got some pretty good defenders around him to help. It’s a team game and they defend as a team, and attack as a team. I think they are defending well together and building a good bond back there as a unit.”