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Sport Nation
The star who “changes the whole thing” for the Demons
Sam Watson • April 24th, 2025 9:04 am
Kane Cornes believes Kysaiah Pickett is Melbourne’s most important player after his five-goal haul saw the Demons beat Fremantle by 10 points in Round 6.
The Dees endured a horror start to the 2025 season, but Pickett’s heroics on Saturday breathed life back into their year, and Cornes believes he could turn their fortunes around if used in the right way.
“He totally changed their forward line, he actually made their forward line look magnificent,” Cornes said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“With Kozzie Pickett, Melbourne's win loss in 2024 and 2025 - 12 wins and 12 losses. Without Pickett, he's been suspended a little bit, zero wins, five losses.”
“He changes the whole thing.”
Despite his potency in the forward line, Cornes believes Simon Goodwin must keep putting him around the ball as well.
But there is a balance to find.
“He went to 23 out of 34 centre bounces on the weekend, when he kicked five and had 24, and clearly the three Brownlow votes,” he added.
“And since Round 4, he's gone to 57 per cent of the centre bounces.
“It is the right move to have him in and around the football.”
Cornes also used the opportunity to highlight how Justin Longmuir used his boom recruit Shai Bolton in the same game.
“I compare that to Shai Bolton, who was also terrific… He went to just 10 out of the 34 centre bounces,” Cornes continued.
“Why don't Fremantle use Bolton in exactly the same way Melbourne use Pickett now? Because he changes the dynamic of that midfield.
“Unleash him.”
Fremantle will host the Crows on Friday night, and the Demons will look to add their second win of the season when they play Richmond at the MCG in the Anzac Eve clash on Thursday night.
