Melbourne’s season from hell could be set to get even worse, with star forward Kysaiah Pickett reportedly telling the club he is interested in a trade interstate for family reasons.

As the Demons reel from shock revelations superstar midfielder Christian Petracca wants out, Seven’s Mitch Cleary reported the 23-year old Pickett, another member of the Dees’ 2021 premiership team, told the club on Wednesday during his exit meeting that he is suffering from homesickness.

Pickett was chosen by the Demons at the 2020 National Draft as a South Australian prospect, but also has family connections in Western Australia.

He has not, however, nominated a preferred destination, with the Dees said to be confident they can convince him to remain at the club.

It is believed the goalsneak’s desire for a trade is not linked to reports of cultural concerns within the club, with Pickett and his partner welcoming their first child earlier in the year.

Pickett signed a four-year contract only last year tying him to the club until the end of 2027.

Kysaiah Picket. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Owies, Pickett bans upheld in Tribunal farce

Carlton small forward Matthew Owies’ one-match ban for a dangerous tackle on St Kilda’s Jack Higgins at the AFL Tribunal has been upheld, after a lengthy hearing that only concluded at 12:06am (AEST) on Wednesday morning.

The hearing, which only began at 9:54pm (AEST) due to Melbourne’s challenging of Kysaiah Pickett’s three-match sanction for a high bump on Darcy Moore running well overtime, means Owies will miss the Blues’ elimination final clash with Brisbane at the Gabba – a bitter blow given he has played every home-and-away match this season.

The Blues made a last-ditch bid after the ban was upheld that ‘exceptional and compelling circumstances’ should apply given the forward’s previously clear disciplinary record, an argument which successfully saw Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron’s dangerous tackle suspension from earlier in the season downgraded to a fine.

However, after another lengthy delay that saw the hearing only fully finish at 12:32am (AEST), that argument too was unsuccessful.

Owies’ tackle in the final quarter at Marvel Stadium, which earned him a holding the ball free kick, was graded as careless conduct with medium impact and high contact by Match Review Officer Michael Christian, triggering the suspension.

The Blues compared the incident to a similar tackle just hours earlier from Western Bulldogs defender Liam Jones on GWS’ Aaron Cadman, which was controversially graded by Christian as ‘low’ impact to leave the star Dog free for their own elimination final with just a fine.

Speaking in his defence, Owies said he loosened his pin of Higgins’ arm as he fell forward, and claimed the Saint ‘sort of went slack’ while being tackled.

“I’m trying to protect his [Higgins’] and my fall by staying upright, turning and pulling upwards,” Owies said.

“I noticed he sort of went slack… whether he was trying to get an in the back free kick, I’m not sure.”

In response, AFL counsel Nick Pane argued Owies should have fully released Higgins’ pinned arms once the ball was freed from his grasp, saying Higgins ‘had no realistic opportunity to protect himself’.

Blues lawyer Peter O’Farrell, the Tribunal guru who famously helped free Patrick Cripps from his 2022 suspension that enabled him to win that year’s Brownlow Medal, as well as overturning several other Blues suspensions over the years, argued Owies’ tackle was nearly identical to Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield’s on Sam Walsh earlier in this season, which was initially given a one-match ban before being overturned at the Tribunal.

O’Farrell went on to claim Owies pulled Higgins up and away from the ground during the tackle, identical to the argument which saw Dangerfield get off, and that he brought the Saint to ground knees-first rather than headfirst.

He also cited the fact the controlling umpire saw the tackle as worthy of a free kick for rather than against.

Pickett ban upheld after marathon hearing

Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett will miss the first three rounds of the 2025 season, after his suspension for a high bump on Collingwood captain Darcy Moore was upheld following a more than three-hour Tribunal hearing.

Pickett was handed the ban by Match Review Officer Michael Christian after his bump caught Moore, who had gone to ground while pursuing the ball, in the head during the Demons’ loss to the Magpies to end their home-and-away season.

Christian graded the incident as careless conduct with severe impact and high contact, triggering the three-match sentence.

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The Demons argued that it was Moore going to ground which made the bump likely to cause injury, not anything in Pickett’s control, while suggesting the Demons star contested the ball in a reasonable manner and that he could not be expected to predict Moore dropping in the manner he did.

Reading from a statement, Pickett apologised to the Magpies captain, saying he ‘went to ground quite quickly in a way I did not expect’.

“Firstly, I’m sorry to Darcy Moore and his injury and I hope he’s okay,” Pickett said.

“My intention was to protect space by taking Darcy off the line and win the ball in front of me. This is the normal way I’ve contested the ball and made a play on the ball in other games.

“My eyes were tracking the ball, and my intent was to make contact with Darcy from side on, shoulder on shoulder, to take him off the line, as I’ve done many times before.

“Darcy went to ground quite quickly in a way I did not expect.”

Demons counsel Adrian Anderson attempted to cite evidence from biomechanist Michael Cole, who was used in Collingwood’s successful Brayden Maynard defence last year for his controversial collision with Dee Angus Brayshaw, to determine how little time Pickett had to react to Moore going to ground.

Anderson also argued Pickett was within his rights to contest the ball by attempting to bump Moore.

In response, AFL representative Sally Flynn vehemently disputed the latter point, saying it ‘was not reasonable to attempt to bump at any stage’ and pointing to Moore’s concussion as proof that it was conduct likely to cause injury.

“We are required to consider whether there was unreasonable conduct that was likely to cause injury,” Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson said after the verdict was handed down. 

“We find that there was.”

Crows re-sign Tex for another season

Adelaide stalwart Taylor Walker is more determined than ever to return the Crows to the finals after signing a one-year contract to extend his AFL career into an 18th season.

Walker, who turns 35 next April, says he still has great motivation to continue playing as the Crows digest missing the finals for a seventh-straight season.

“Being a one-club player means a lot to me and I still feel I have plenty to contribute to the team,” he said on Wednesday.

“I love working with our exciting young forward line and get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing them develop their own games.

“As a team, we didn’t get the results we wanted this year.

“But that only makes me more determined to continue working hard to get our club back to where it belongs.”

Taylor Walker fends off Caleb Windsor. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Walker is Adelaide’s all-time leading goalkicker, with 641 goals from his 278 games.

A former captain, Adelaide’s list manager Justin Reid said Walker’s leadership remained vital for the Crows.

“You can’t measure what Tex brings on and off the field for our football club,” Reid said.

“The fact that his playing career is continuing well into his 30s speaks to his professionalism and the way he approaches his training and preparation.

“He drives high standards and makes his teammates better and we’re very pleased that will continue for another season.”

Hayden Young reveals he broke his leg in Fremantle’s last-ditch finals attempt

Fremantle midfielder Hayden Young has revealed he wouldn’t have been able to play in the AFL finals after breaking his leg during Sunday’s 20-point loss to Port Adelaide.

Young thought he had suffered a corked calf during a collision early in the final term.

The 23-year-old went off for treatment before bravely returning to the field despite his struggles to run.

An injured Young attempted to fill a role in attack given his limited capacity to move, and subsequent scans have revealed he suffered a fracture.

Fremantle would have reached the finals with a win over Port, but Young wouldn’t have been able to play in any case.

“I’ve got a little crack in my fibula, so not ideal,” Young told Perth radio station 96FM.

“It was a bit of an interesting one. It sort of got a knock and just felt like a little stinger or corky and I tried to run it out, and obviously it just wasn’t going away.

“And I was like, ‘This is not your normal sort of corky’.

“It was a little bit frustrating because the game was in the balance and I felt like we were right in it.

“And I couldn’t really take much part in that last quarter, so that’s just the way it is.

“Sometimes in footy you get a bit of bad luck and stuff like that happens.”

Young’s injury continued a rotten run of luck for Fremantle late in the season.

Skipper Alex Pearce made just one appearance in the final nine games after breaking his left arm twice, and ruckman Sean Darcy (knee) and spearhead Josh Treacy (knee) missed the last three games of the season as the Dockers crashed from third to 10th on the AFL ladder.

Darcy, who underwent knee surgery on the eve of the season, may require another operation after managing just 12 games this year.

Young averaged 23.8 disposals, five tackles and five clearances to go with 13 goals in his first full season as a midfielder, with the hot form earning him a spot in the extended 44-man All-Australian squad.

He was joined in the extended squad by teammates Luke Ryan, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw and Jordan Clark.

“It’s the most (players) this year along with Brisbane, which is good recognition,” Young said.

“We’ve obviously had some good individual efforts this year, but ideally we would want to be holding up premiership medals and the cup.

“But it is great recognition for the players that have done well. It would be a huge honour (to make the final squad).”

Man charged after water bottle throwing incident

A man has been charged by Victoria Police after he allegedly threw a bottle at a goal umpire during Carlton’s clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

An investigation identified a 23-year-old Northcote man, who attended a police station by appointment, where he was interviewed and subsequently charged with recklessly cause injury, discharge a missile and unlawful assault.

The man has been bailed to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 1 November.

A lifetime ban from the AFL is also all but certain after Steven Piperno was forced from the field with a bloodied head after the disgraceful act midway through the second quarter of the Blues’ must-win clash, and was replaced by reserve goal umpire Chelsea Roffey.

Fox Footy’s Jon Ralph reported that the fan was not a member of Carlton’s cheer squad despite the projectile having been thrown near their area behind the goals, and that he exited the arena shortly after the act.

“That is just completely unacceptable,” Channel Seven commentator Alistair Nicholson said during Channel Seven’s broadcast.

“That is just an absolute disgrace,” added Brian Taylor.

“There’s no room for that anywhere in any of our games.

“There’s quite a lot of blood been drawn out of the back of the scone there.”

Saints delist five players including veteran Seb Ross

Midfielder Seb Ross won’t be in Saints colours next season, with the club confirming they have delisted the two-time Best and Fairest winner.

The 31-year-old joined St Kilda in the 2011 AFL Draft, making his debut the following season against Greater Western Sydney.

While he will not be offered a contract at the Saints for the 2025 season, he indicated he will look for another club, but it will be tough to move on.

“St Kilda will always be the place that gave me the chance to live out my childhood dream of playing AFL football, and I will forever be grateful for that,” Ross said in the club statement.

“While I’m not closing the door on football moving forward, I leave the Saints with some lifelong friends and some incredible memories.

I’d like to thank all of the teammates I’ve shared the journey with over the years, as well as all my coaches, the staff and the broader St Kilda community for making my time here so special.

“I’m comforted knowing that whatever comes next, I have my incredible wife Marnie and our children, Charlotte, Vinny and Henley, by my side. They truly are my world.”

Ross represented St Kilda across 211 matches and was awarded St Kilda Football Club Life Membership and two Trevor Barker Awards (2017, 2019).

“On behalf of the entire club, we would like to thank Seb for his exceptional service to St Kilda over the past 13 seasons,” EGM Football David Misson said.

“These types of decisions are never easy to make, particularly given Seb’s calibre as both a person and a player which has yielded incredible respect from teammates and supporters alike. However, as we position our list for the future, this decision, albeit incredibly difficult, needed to be made.

“Seb has given everything to St Kilda over the journey and has experienced more than his fair share of hardship throughout in terms of team success, but his commitment through it all has a defining feature of his career and character.

“We wish Seb, wife Marnie and children Charlotte, Vinny and Henley all the best for whatever the future holds. He and his family will always be welcome here at St Kilda.”

Ross Lyon has delisted five Saints since the conclusion of the season, with Ross joined by ruckman Tom Campbell, Riley Bonner, Matthew Allison and James Van Es.

Giants forward extends contract at the club on eve of finals

Star forward Brent Daniels has re-signed with GWS for a further six years, tying him to the AFL club until 2031.

Daniels was set to become one of the hottest free agents in 2025, when his previous deal was due to expire.

But the 25-year-old sees his long-term future among the Orange Tsunami, with his career-best season in 2024 even putting him in line for a maiden All-Australian berth.

Daniels has been named in the extended 44-man All-Australian squad after kicking 23 goals in 22 games this season.

His goal tally only reflects a fraction of the influence he’s had on the team this year, with Daniels sitting No.1 in the AFL this year for goal assists (33).

He also sits in the elite category for small forwards in disposals (18.1 per game), kicks (10.8), handballs (7.3) and tackles (4.3) for 2024.

“For Brent to sign a long-term deal with the club as he approached free agency is a huge endorsement of the future he sees here and our football program as a whole,” GWS general manager of football Jason McCartney said in a statement.

“Since joining the club back in 2017, he’s developed into a pivotal player for us and it’s great to have him remain a Giant for what we see as a really exciting future for the club.

“While he’s always been highly regarded internally, it’s fantastic to see him starting to get the external recognition he deserves for the talented and hard-working player he is and for what he brings to our side.”

Daniels has played 104 games for the Giants since being selected with pick No.27 in the 2017 national draft.

He was taken one pick ahead of star defender Sam Taylor, who this year penned a new deal with the Giants that locks him in until the end of 2032.

GWS finished fourth on the ladder this year, and will take on Sydney in a qualifying final on Saturday, September 7, at the SCG.

– with AAP