SINCE the Norm Smith Medal was first presented after the 1979 Grand Final, seven Indigenous players have won the award; Maurice Rioli, Peter Matera, Michael Long, Andrew McLeod, Byron Pickett, Cyril Rioli and Bobby Hill.

But none have had a greater impact on Kysaiah Pickett's career than the man who was named best on ground in 2004.

Byron Pickett cemented his place in the annals of football history when he won the award after Port Adelaide prevented Brisbane from winning a fourth straight premiership 20 years ago.

Years after that famous day, the dual North Melbourne premiership player and Indigenous Team of the Century member looked after his nephew, the man now known across the country as 'Kozzy', when he moved from the tiny wheatbelt town of Quairading, two hours east of Perth, to live in Adelaide in a bid to make it in the AFL.

The Melbourne star, drafted in 2019 to the club his uncle finished his career at, is now one of the most exciting players in the game and one of the headline acts in February's Indigenous All-Stars game against Fremantle at Optus Stadium.

The AFL named the 23-year-old among the first 11 players selected this month, alongside Fremantle recruit Shai Bolton, Adelaide young gun Izak Rankine and freshly minted Brisbane premiership players Charlie Cameron and Callum Ah Chee.

"My uncle has had such a big impact on me," Pickett told AFL.com.au. "Obviously I moved from WA to South Australia to live with him and basically he set me up and helped me become independent.

"He taught me a lot of the ways you don't learn being back at home. He has just been there to guide me and help me improve and teach me to be a man."

Pickett rarely gets the chance to play in front of family and friends in Western Australia, his home state. The opportunity to do so alongside players he idolised, like Fremantle veteran Michael 'Sonny' Walters, made him desperate to be involved in the first Indigenous All Stars game in a decade.

"The main thing for me is just excitement," Pickett said.

"You play against these boys your whole career, so being able to team up with them is pretty special.

"A lot of them are superstars. I look up to heaps of the boys that I'm going to be alongside, so it is pretty exciting for me."

Indigenous representation at the highest level has declined in recent years, with 11 players departing the game in the off-season and only two entering the AFL cohort through the draft.

But Pickett believes the Indigenous All-Stars can help inspire the next generation to chase a dream that can appear out of reach.

"That's the main thing I'm excited about," he said.

"I know there will be a lot of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people back home in Western Australia that will want to come to the game. I'm sure we will get big numbers at the game.

"I'm just hoping we can see a rise in the next generation coming; I'm hoping they have guys that play in this game down the track."

Melbourne recruit Ricky Mentha Jnr was one of just two Indigenous draftees last month, along with Malakai Champion at West Coast.

The Alice Springs product lived with Pickett during his time in the Demons' Next Generation Academy and has been taken under his wing.

"Ricky's got the skills, he's got the talent, he is just learning about hard work now. I definitely think he is one to watch in the coming years," Pickett said.

"I've had him at home when he was next gen. He is a quiet one, but is definitely one to watch in future."

The AFL mandated the appointment of Indigenous Player Development Managers at every club in 2021, but Melbourne has been leading the way in this space for years, adding Demons life member Matt Whelan to the football department in 2017.

Pickett said the Northern Territorian, who played 150 games for the Demons and wore the No.45 with distinction, has been a crucial figure in the club's support network, not just for him but for the other Indigenous players - Steven May, Shane McAdam and now Mentha Jnr.

"He has definitely had a big impact on me at the club. If you have anything going on, he is the person you can talk to," he said.

"I know I can speak for the other boys ... he is definitely the one person we can go to at the club if we ever need someone to talk to. He is good at making the club understand how we feel.

"To have someone in his position is very, very important. I feel we need a lot of Indigenous people in and around the space, especially for us boys. We need someone. Even for the wider club, he is the one that helps everyone understand Aboriginal culture."

Pickett is a premiership player and already has 100 games to his name, but the West Australian is now a leader for his community and a crucial figure in the push to lift Indigenous representation at AFL level.

And a key step forward in that push will come when the Indigenous All-Stars return to the field in February.

Tickets for the Indigenous All-Stars game are on sale via Ticketmaster. Ticket prices start at $10 for a junior under 15, and $35 for an adult, with family tickets (two adults and two juniors) only $70, allowing juniors to attend for free.

2025 Indigenous All-Stars squad*

Callum Ah Chee (Brisbane) – Noongar, Palyku and Nyikina, Yawuru
Shai Bolton (Fremantle) – Minang and Wilman
Charlie Cameron (Brisbane) – Waanyi and Lardil
Bobby Hill (Collingwood) – Whadjuk, Ballardong, Noongar
Brad Hill (St Kilda) – Wilmen, Noongar
Jarman Impey (Hawthorn) - Yorta Yorta
Alex Pearce (Fremantle) - Palawa
Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne) – Yamatji, Noongar
Liam Ryan (West Coast) – Yamatji
Izak Rankine (Adelaide) - Kokatha and Ngarrindjeri
Michael Walters (Fremantle) – Whadjuk, Wilmen and Ngarrindjeri

*More to be announced