Byron Pickett

Pickett was selection 67 in the 1996 October draft (North's fifth selection). He played just one senior game in 1997, but won the AFL's top rookie award in 1998. Pickett found a role in the back pocket. His tremendous tackling and hard shepherding help Pickett's superb balance and slick ball handling are a feature of his game.

From Roos News, Sept 1998

Few have shown more improvement over a 12-month period than half-back Byron Pickett.

Not only had Byron cemented a place coming into the finals, in July he achieved one of his ambitions, to represent South Australia at State-of-Origin level.

The presence of a second Aboriginal player at North, in Winston Abraham, has helped Byron to settle. In between training sessions, they often go to see a movie or to a pinball parlor.

Pickett says if North hadn't drafted him in November 1996, he would have returned fulltime to Port Lincoln and played local footy with his mates at Mallee Park.

He'd become disenchanted with living in Port Adelaide and playing virtually exclusively in the under 19s, so much so that he was preparing to return home when Essendon rang, soon after followed by North's approach, via recruiting officer Neville Stibbard. "I didn't want to stay there any more," he said. "I wasn't getting a run much in the reserves or certainly not in the seniors. I heard on the grapevine that they said I was too lazy.

"But my mother (Christine) said, 'Don't give up now. Keep going to training, keep trying to play good and maybe something positive will happen.'

"A couple of days after that Nev. came along, left a message on the door and I got in contact with him."

North drafted him with their fifth choice, at No.67 position and have been delighted with his progress.

Born in Kellerberrin in country WA, Byron originally lived in Taman and then Geraldton, before shifting to Port Lincoln.

While he loved footy, he didn't enjoy the 12-hour return bus trip to Adelaide to play in the thirds.

He'd play one week and not turn up again for a fortnight, preferring to play with his mates at Mallee Park.

The eldest boy in a family of four, he says the opportunity to make something of himself via football was in the end, too good to ignore.

"I always dreamed of playing AFL footy. But I never dreamed of actually living here or training or playing side by side people like Wayne Carey, Wayne Schwass or Micky Martyn.

"It's a good club. I couldn't have gone to a better club. Everyone sticks together. Wayne Schwass, in particular, gave me a lot of help last year. It was the same as having another Aboriginal here I suppose."


- KEN PIESSE