DESPITE speculation over Kysaiah Pickett's potential wish to move home to Western Australia, he has reiterated his commitment to Melbourne.
Contracted for a further three years at the Demons until the end of 2027, Pickett has been linked to a move to Fremantle in recent months. But such speculation, he says, is unfounded and instead just chatter with him and his friends.
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"I've got friends, you know, I'm going to talk to them," Pickett said.
"I'm contracted at Melbourne, I'm having fun there and I love it at the club… I still have to do my time there."
While he has conceded that there is an element of homesickness, being on the other side of the country to his family, Pickett has worked closely with the club and head coach Simon Goodwin and had open conversations around those concerns.
"Me and 'Goody', we always have open and honest conversations, and me to be able to express myself and express my homesickness, it's part of our relationship," Pickett said.
The Indigenous All Stars match is an opportunity for Pickett to play in front of a home crowd, and connect with the local Indigenous community. It is Pickett's first opportunity to be part of a camp like it, with the last Indigenous All Stars match taking place in 2015, while the Demon was drafted ahead of the 2020 season.
"It's one of the bigger games I look up to, coming back home, playing in front of all my family. I've got a lot of family here and a lot of friends, so being able to showcase myself, represent all of my family and being able to do it with all the other Indigenous boys is pretty crazy," Pickett said.
"You play against these guys, and you see what they can do with the ball, and you just look at them like 'This is crazy' and for me to stand alongside them, it's going to be fun."
Pickett spent some time at the Clontarf Foundation, a program designed to assist young Indigenous men to complete their high school education and find employment.
"The best thing about these camps is giving back to the community and spreading your knowledge and, I guess, try and inspire the next generation."
