Pickett makes immediate mark at league level for Bulldogs

JARROD Pickett has made an immediate impact in his first three WAFL league matches with South Fremantle and that has only helped the recently-turned 18-year-old continue his charge to being a top AFL draft pick later this year.

While still 17 years of age, Pickett made his league debut with the Bulldogs in the Round 19 win in the derby over East Fremantle at East Fremantle Oval during which he kicked a goal with his first kick and booted two majors for the day.

He then had a quiet game for most of the day the next week against Peel Thunder at Fremantle Oval before turning on a simply stunning performance in the final 10 minutes of the game.

He first emerged in the game when flying at the back of a pack inside the forward 50 and taking a massive mark and then going back to calmly slot the goal to keep South Fremantle a chance of winning the game against Peel.

Then just before the siren sounded he took a mark just inside the boundary line in the forward pocket in front of the members stand at Fremantle Oval. Pickett coolly went back and check sided the ball right through the middle as the siren sounded to win the game for the Bulldogs.

Pickett certainly enjoyed the experience of winning a game off his own boot in just the second game of his league career.

“To be honest, I was really quiet for the first three quarters and then I was supposed to come off the ground,” Pickett said on The Monday WAFL.

“I was on my way off and then the ball came in the 50 so I decided to stay on, and went up for that mark and when I took it all the boys were just telling me to kick the goal.

“One of the older boys Craig White said that Pickett was staying on now and he told them not to take me off. Then I ended up taking another mark and kicking the goal from the pocket. It was a pretty good moment for me.”

Ending the season in the league team is capping off a massive season for Pickett, which has already included continuing playing some colts football and then graduating to the reserves at South Fremantle.

There has been plenty going on outside of the Bulldogs as well with Pickett playing well in the WA State 18s side and also taking part in the European tour of the Australian Institute of Sport.

Once the season finishes, Pickett will turn his attention to getting ready for the AFL Draft Combine and then likely will be picked very high in the draft.

“We have had a massive year. We even went away with the AIS earlier in the year as well when we went to Europe for two and-a-half or three weeks. That was full on and then as soon as we got back from that it was into the 18s, and it’s continued to be full on from there,” he said.

“Once I’ve finished in the league side I’ll go back and play finals with the colts, and hopefully we end up playing in another grand final.

“After that, I’ll get involved with some training with the strength and conditioning coach from our State team heading into the combine. I’ll just focus on getting some fitness and getting ready to test really well.”

Pickett has found himself compared to some past Indigenous greats like Peter Matera and Michael Long previously, but the one player he sees himself most like would be Carlton utility Chris Yarran.

“I’m compared most to Chris Yarran I think just with the way we both run and carry the ball, and are able to break the lines,” Pickett said.

“We both have good goal sense when we go forward as well and know where the goals are.”

While Pickett has spent most of the time in his first three league games playing as a small forward, he does see himself longer term as being a midfielder and he has enjoyed the chance to develop alongside some star Bulldogs veterans including Ryan Cook, Craig White and Ashton Hams.

“When we played Swannies, I was playing in the forward-line and I was in the game but I still had heaps of run left in my legs so they pushed me up onto the wing and I provided some run there for us, so it’s good to get up the ground and not just play in the forward-line,” he said.

“Ashton Hams, Ryan Cook and Craig White are the main three guys who have really just encouraged me to run and use my talents.

“If I do a run and stuff it up, one of the other guys might have a go at me but I’ve got those three guys who tell them to be quiet and are really supportive of me, and they encourage me to keep running and if I make a mistake, to just try again and keep doing it.”

South Fremantle has won three straight matches and Pickett is yet to taste a loss at league level so he now hopes that continues this Friday night against the second-placed Subiaco at Fremantle Oval.

“It’s a night game too so that will be my first night game of the year so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully we can get another win too,” Pickett said.

“We are just trying to get some good form as a team heading into next year. It’s been good to get some wins under the belt and with the new coach coming in it’s good to give him a reason to look forward to taking over the team. We are just trying to get as many wins as we can before the end of the season.”