Kysaiah Pickett signs contract with Melbourne Demons until 2034

Kysaiah Pickett has turned his back on strong interest from WA to remain with Melbourne, signing with the club until the end of 2034.

Melbourne announced on Thursday morning that Pickett, 24, had signed a five-year extension on top of his current contract which has two years remaining.

“As one of the most dynamic players in the game, we are very excited that Kozzy has chosen to commit to Melbourne for the long term,” Lamb said in a club statement.

“Kozzy is a special talent, and to have him sign a seven-year extension shows the belief he has in where we are heading. He loves the club and his teammates, and he wants to help drive sustained success for this group.”

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Pickett was drafted with pick 12 in the 2019 national draft, and has played 116 games since his debut, kicking 182 goals. He had attracted strong interest from Fremantle.

In a challenging season for the Demons, Pickett has been one of the club’s success stories on the field. One of the game’s best small forwards, Pickett has thrived on extra responsibilities in the midfield.

In an interview with this masthead last month, Pickett spoke of his connection to his home in Quairading, a town in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region about one-and-a-half hours’ drive out of Perth, and also the Demons.

“There’s always homesickness,” Pickett said. “Anyone who’s from interstate, they’re always homesick, they always think about going home. I have honest conversations with Goody and [I’ve] been able to tell him I’m homesick, but there’s never really any talk about leaving at the moment.”