Australian Football

After playing briefly with North Hobart speedy utility Tony Pickett transferred to North Launceston in 1973, where he quickly assumed the mantle of a key player. Club best and fairest in both 1974 and 1975, and a premiership player in the latter year, it was only a matter of time before mainland clubs started taking an interest and, sure enough, the 1976 season found him at Carlton, where he made a highly impressive start, kicking four goals on debut, playing 24 games for the year, and going on to claim the Blues’ best first year player award. Thereafter, if he did not quite disappoint, he failed fully to realise the potential suggested by his early performances, and over the ensuing three seasons of his Carlton career he was in and out of the senior side, ultimately accumulating 60 VFL games and scoring 32 goals. A career highlight came in 1979 when he represented Tasmania at the Perth state of origin carnival.

Returning to Tasmania in 1980 Pickett took up the captain-coaching reins at City-South, whom he steered as far as that year’s grand final in which they went down by four goals to his former club North Launceston.

After retiring as a player Tony Pickett was involved in coaching in the high schools of north east Tasmania for several decades. 

Author - John Devaney