Kysaiah Pickett's $12.5 Million Deal Looks Like a Bargain as He Rivals Bontempelli and Daicos

Key facts

• Kysaiah Pickett, 24, signed a $12.5 million contract with Melbourne through 2034.
• His annual salary is $1.4 million.
• On ANZAC Eve, he won the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes Medal with 29 disposals, four goals, and a mark-of-the-year contender.
• Since moving primarily into the midfield, he averages 24 disposals, six score involvements, five tackles, and one goal per game.
• Gerard Whateley placed Pickett in the same conversation as Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli.
• West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson agreed but said Pickett must sustain performance for several seasons.
• Pickett now plays over 80% of game time in the midfield.

A Performance That Demands Attention

Kysaiah Pickett delivered one of the season’s finest individual displays on ANZAC Eve, amassing a game-high 29 disposals, four goals, and a mark-of-the-year contender to claim the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes Medal against Richmond. The performance was no aberration. Since being predominantly deployed in the midfield, the 24-year-old has posted averages of 24 disposals, six score involvements, five tackles, and one goal per game — numbers that place him among the competition’s elite.

Comparisons to the Game’s Best

Gerard Whateley, speaking on SEN’s Crunch Time, declared that Pickett has elevated his game to the level of Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli. “Melbourne has lived its end of the bargain by giving him the midfield minutes — he's up beyond 80% now,” Whateley said. “He is in the conversation with Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli.” West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson concurred with the assessment but urged caution, noting that sustained excellence over multiple seasons is the true benchmark. “He is right now (but) part of the conversation for those guys is that they sustain it, they've been doing it for a while,” Simpson stated. “In the bracket of this year, he's in the top five, and I suppose you can't really let him live in that space regardless of his performances until he's done it for several years in a row. So, he's still got a bit of work to do.”

A Contract That Now Looks Prudent

Midway through last season, Pickett re-signed with Melbourne on a $12.5 million contract, locking him into the Demons until the end of 2034 at $1.4 million per year. At the time, the deal raised eyebrows for its size and length. But Simpson now believes the contract is not only justified but may represent a bargain. “They saw the evolution before we did,” he admitted. “$1.4 million a year sounds cheap as to the way he's playing.”

The Midfield Transformation

Pickett’s shift into the midfield has been the catalyst for his statistical surge. Previously a forward, he now spends over 80% of game time in the engine room, a move that Melbourne had long foreseen. The club’s faith in his ability to adapt has been rewarded with a production line that rivals the league’s premier midfielders. His five tackles per game underscore a two-way commitment that complements his offensive output.

Sustaining Excellence: The Next Challenge

While Pickett’s current form places him in the top echelon of players this season, the consensus among observers is that durability will define his legacy. Simpson’s caution — that true elite status requires years of consistent performance — echoes a broader understanding of the AFL’s hierarchy. Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli have set a standard of sustained brilliance that Pickett must now match over the long term. His contract, which runs through 2034, provides both the security and the expectation to do so.

A Bargain or a Bet?

Melbourne’s front office appears to have timed its investment perfectly. By securing Pickett before his midfield breakout, the club locked in a potential superstar at a price that, in retrospect, seems modest. If Pickett continues on his current trajectory, the $1.4 million annual figure will be a fraction of his market value. The gamble, if it can be called that, has already begun to pay dividends.

The bottom line

• Kysaiah Pickett’s $12.5 million contract, signed mid-2024, now looks like a bargain given his midfield emergence.
• He averages 24 disposals, six score involvements, five tackles, and one goal per game since shifting to the midfield.
• Gerard Whateley and Adam Simpson both compare Pickett to Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli, though Simpson stresses the need for sustained performance.
• Pickett’s ANZAC Eve performance (29 disposals, four goals) earned him the Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes Medal.
• Melbourne’s decision to increase Pickett’s midfield minutes to over 80% has unlocked his elite production.
• The club’s early faith in Pickett’s evolution appears vindicated, with his current output exceeding his $1.4 million annual salary.