Kysaiah Pickett Cleared for Big Match Against Hawthorn
Melbourne star Kysaiah Pickett has been cleared to play in the highly anticipated clash against Hawthorn after avoiding further sanctions over a high-contact incident involving West Coast’s Jake Waterman.
The 24-year-old player made contact with Waterman’s head in the opening moments of the Demons’ 32-point victory on Sunday. Immediately after the incident, Pickett showed concern about his role in the event. Despite having a history of tribunal appearances, including multiple suspensions for bumping opponents in the head, Pickett has worked hard to change his approach to contests. His actions during the match with Waterman were deemed not unreasonable by the authorities.
Pickett had his hands out, reaching for the ball, which Demons coach Steven King described as a “legitimate play” for possession. 
AFL match review officer Michael Christian agreed with this assessment on Monday when delivering his verdict. According to the AFL, “the ball was handballed in the direction of Waterman with Pickett approaching from the side with his eyes firmly fixed on the ball.” As soon as Pickett realized that Waterman was going to take possession of the ball, he decelerated, lowered his body, and dropped his right arm in an attempt to minimize impact before making contact. The MRO concluded that Pickett did not choose to bump and that his actions were not unreasonable under the circumstances. No further action was taken.
King strongly defended Pickett in his post-match analysis, highlighting that Waterman was not seriously injured and even referencing the Eagles forward’s statistics. Waterman kicked 3.5 goals and had a game-high 13 score involvements, making him one of his team’s standout players.
Pickett has had an impressive season so far, embracing more responsibility in the midfield as Melbourne begins its first year under King’s leadership. “Kozzy is a leader; he’s matured a lot as a player and he knows how important he is to us,” King said. “The way he plays the game is on the edge at times because of the talent he has and how hard he is around the footy. When we saw the replay, we got the message pretty quickly to Koz that he was making a play on the ball and you’ll be fine.”
Other Players Fined
In another development, Richmond’s Jacob Hopper and Kane McAuliffe have accepted $1000 fines after being charged with attempting to trip and careless contact with an umpire, respectively. These incidents occurred during the Tigers’ 37-point loss to Adelaide on Sunday. Both players have opted to pay the fines instead of facing further disciplinary action.
