The "invaluable" Demon changing the outlook of Goodwin's side

Jaiden Sciberras • April 20th, 2025 5:51 pm

The Demons have won their first game of the year, leading at every break to claim a 10-point scalp over the Fremantle Dockers.

After extensive criticism over their five-game losing streak to start the season, Simon Goodwin shifted the magnets dropping forwards Bailey Fritsch and Jacob Van Rooyen and adapting to the absence of Steven May and Jake Lever.

With Harrison Petty shifting forward to bag four goals, Daniel Turner venturing back and an entirely new look front half, the Dees put on a controlled performance from start to finish against a stacked Fremantle team.

Amongst those leaders was 23-year-old Kysaiah Pickett, who played arguably the best of his 109 games.

Rotating through the midfield, Kozzy dominated the contest, finding 24 disposals and booting five majors in a best on ground performance.

Former Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney was thoroughly impressed with Kozzy, believing that he will be the difference maker in the Dees’ mission to return back on track.

“He does have that point of difference when you’re talking about small forwards,” Cooney told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“He can go into centre bounce and have an impact there which is just so invaluable, he’s not just a one trick pony, the issue is consistency.

“He lit it up yesterday, we would love to see him do it every week because then Melbourne looks like a completely different team.

“They have spark, they have line breaking ability, they have goal kicking ability, which is what they have lacked, and others walk taller around Kozzy Pickett.

“There is no surprise in the direct correlation between Pickett lighting it up, defenders starting to get nervous about Kozzy in the forward line and Harrison Petty kicking four as well.

“The focus shifts on to others, which allows the taller forwards to actually get themselves into the game.”

Beyond Pickett, Cooney was impressed with the Demon leaders for stepping up when the game was in the balance.

Captain Max Gawn managed 28 disposals, 31 hit outs and seven marks and came up huge in the final moments of the contest, while Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney had 25 disposals apiece through the midfield.

“Gawn and Viney back to their best yesterday certainly helped as well,” he continued.

“It was a huge game from both of their leaders. I think there was a slight change in the way that they played as well.

“It was a bit more identifiable in that they didn’t just burst and bust those long 50 metre balls down the line and pray that Petty was going to take contested mark after contested mark.

“There were a few times where they chained handball out, which can get you in trouble but I thought they did it really well, they’ve obviously worked on it over the last three or four weeks to start using their hands and trying to get themselves out of trouble in that aspect.

“The issues aren’t solved for Melbourne, they only had seven marks inside 50 yesterday for the game, 12 to Fremantle so everything is not fixed.

“But, when you do have the smalls lighting it up, it does help everyone around you.

"Terrific performance yesterday from Kozzy, let’s hope we see more of it.”

With a win on the board, Melbourne are set to host Richmond on Thursday night in a bid to propel themselves out of the bottom four.