Liam Picken

[Twodogs]

Love to see him win it.

I was going to say leading the B&F but then I remembered the Bont.

[Bulldog Joe]

I was going to say leading the B&F but then I remembered the Bont.

As good as Picken has been, I think the Bont has the Sutton well and truly parcelled away.

[Twodogs]

As good as Picken has been, I think the Bont has the Sutton well and truly parcelled away.

Yep. I should say that Picken would be leading the pack forming to come second to the Bont in the Sutton medal.

[Jeanette54]

Liam is the sort of player that we love. I bracket him with the likes of Charlie Evans (chop) - an all-time crowd favourite.

Now there is a name from the past..... One of a long line of great back pocket players to play for the 'Dogs.

[craigsahibee]

Liam was a standout on Sunday. He is just so consistent. There is not a lot of variation in his output. Would be a very close second to Bont in the B&F.

[Prince Imperial]

Will be fighting it out for second place with Hunter, I would think. Boyd, who has only missed two games, likely to be up there too.

[MrMahatma]

Will be fighting it out for second place with Hunter, I would think. Boyd, who has only missed two games, likely to be up there too.

Hunter wouldn't be in my top 7 or 8.

Liam is a gun. Would love him to reprise the tagged role full time over finals.

[bornadog]

Hunter wouldn't be in my top 7 or 8.

Liam is a gun. Would love him to reprise the tagged role full time over finals.

Hunter will get better and better. He is still 21 and he is a ball accumulator averaging 29 disposals a game.

[LostDoggy]

Fun random fact; Liam Picken has worn No.42 the 2nd most of any player in VFL/AFL history. The only player who has worn it in more games is Robert Walls.

Bob Murphy is 2nd on the all time list of No.2's, behind only Walls' teammate John Nicholls.

[1eyedog]

Fun random fact; Liam Picken has worn No.42 the 2nd most of any player in VFL/AFL history. The only player who has worn it in more games is Robert Walls.

Bob Murphy is 2nd on the all time list of No.2's, behind only Walls' teammate John Nicholls.

How do you think this stuff up to look this stuff up?

[choconmientay]

Liam Picken soaking up premiership glory after an epic final thirty minutes of football in Grand Final
ELIZA SEWELL, Herald Sun October 1, 2016 8:39pm

LINK


Liam Picken celebrates one of his goals. Picture: Wayne Ludbey


LIAM Picken knew the equation at three-quarter time was simple.

“Thirty minutes of pain for a lifetime of enjoyment,” the hard as nails, now premiership player told himself.

And so, like he has done through the Western Bulldogs entire finals campaign, the reinvented former tagger stepped up and inspired his side to a momentous victory.

It started with a monster tackle on Sydney defender Dane Rampe and while there was no score as a reward, it set the tone.

“It got me into the game,” Picken said.

“I thought I’d had a quiet third quarter ... just in the last quarter, I knew it was 30 minutes to go, that’s all it needed to win a premiership.”

With 12 minutes to go, reminiscent of his dad Billy, the Collingwood legend and finals king, Picken flew, floated and held a screamer.

“I just knew I had to take the mark,” Picken said.

“It was important on the forward flank, I knew it was a key moment, I needed to take the mark for the side.”

Not long after he then found a way to goal after minutes of desperate Dogs’ forward scramble. Picken picked it up clean and was straight in front. The score gave his side a seven-point lead.

“I couldn’t believe it in the last quarter,” he said.

“The ball came a couple of times to me and teammates found me, it was bloody amazing.”

He kicked the sealer off a Jake Stringer delivery adding to his second quarter snap, where he scored after a one-two and overhead handball from Lachie Hunter to finish with three for the match.

“It was a bit of a blur the last quarter,” he said.

“But I knew that 30 minutes of pain and it was there.”

Picken said he was feeling both elated and relieved.



Liam Picken soaks up the Grand Final win with his family. Picture: David Caird


“I’m just trying to soak it all in,” he said.

“Enjoy it, make sure these memories stay with me forever.

“We’ve worked so hard. I probably didn’t expect this to happen a couple of years ago, but it makes it even more enjoyable.

“The last couple of minutes we knew we were going to win, it was quite enjoyable to suck it all in.

“You’ve just got to remember this for the rest of your life. To share it with my teammates, we relied on each other, (there was) so much heart from the boys.

“It’s one side that’s just come together really close, we knew that we could do it.”

[choconmientay]

Premiership hero Liam Picken has been quick to thank those who made his AFL dream a reality
MICHAEL WARNER, Herald Sun October 2, 2016 7:19pm

LINK


MICK Malthouse always had a nagging feeling about Liam Picken.

For four years the son of Magpies great Billy Picken sat under Collingwood’s nose at the club’s VFL affiliate, Williamstown.

“I remember having a conversation with Mick Malthouse at the end of 2007 and he said to me: ‘This kid Picken, he does a lot right doesn’t he? He’s just a bit scrappy’,” former Williamstown coach Brad Gotch recalled.

“He was thinking about it, he could see something in him, but because of the fact that he did make a few errors with the ball and he looked a bit untidy, they couldn’t see him going through.”

Collingwood’s trash became the Western Bulldogs treasure when the Dogs took over the Williamstown alignment in 2008.


Liam Picken joins Jackson Macrae, Josh Dunkley and Toby McLean in celebration after the final siren.

But the Bulldogs were flat broke and Picken’s move to the Whitten Oval only became possible after Williamstown offered to stump up $20,000 towards his AFL rookie contract.

Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron — then the Dogs’ midfield coach — was among those who pushed for Picken to get a crack at the highest level.

“We knew he was really competitive and that he could take a mark, so we thought, well why don’t we go there?” Cameron told the Herald Sun.

“He was tough and hard, and an outstanding competitor, and we’ve probably just seen that come to the fore over the past month.

“He just kept on persisting, and he’s got better and better and better.”

Long-time Williamstown chief executive Brendan Curry recruited Picken from Hamilton at the end of 2004.

He’d managed a few games for the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup but was considered too scrawny and unskilled.

Picken started out in the VFL reserves and fought his way into the seniors, claiming the best and fairest in 2008.


Premiership star Liam Picken with his wife and kids after the final siren. Picture: David Caird

“We were probably a bit frustrated that none of the VFL-listed boys were being drafted,” Curry said.

“There were VFL players playing alongside AFL players and often the VFL players were better.

“In Liam’s first or second senior game Nathan Buckley was coming back from a bad hamstring injury and we played out at Box Hill and there were about 8000 people there.

“It was really hyped-up and Liam took a big screaming mark late in the last quarter and kicked the winning goal.”

Curry said he laughed when he recently heard a high-ranking Magpies official claim on radio that they were unable to secure Picken’s services ahead of the Bulldogs.

“The reason they couldn’t get him was because they didn’t pick him,” Curry quipped.

“He was right under their noses.

“We really believed in Pickers and so I came up with the idea that we’d pay $20,000 to the Bulldogs on the proviso that they pick him.”


Peter Gordon with players Tom Boyd, Liam Picken and Joel Hamling. Picture: David Caird

Picken, 30, fired off a text message to Curry after last week’s epic victory over the GWS and thanked him for his role in helping him reach the Grand Final.

“Gotchy was always pushing for me and Cuzz was amazing,” Picken said.

“I’m ever thankful to them for giving me the chance to play AFL football and it ends with a premiership.

“Williamstown was a fantastic club and I had a close group of mates down there. It seems so long ago but we were so close and we got to play against AFL footballers.

“You sort of knew you had the ability, you just needed the opportunity.”

As for being overlooked by Collingwood, Picken said: “They did ... but how good has it worked out? Going through the hard times down there and working my way up has made it even more special.”

Picken was unlucky to miss out on a Norm Smith Medal and was again in the votes as the club’s premiership celebrations at an inner-city bar spilled into the early hours of Sunday.

“He’s just a really great country kid with a never-say-die attitude and to be the player of the finals series is just rewards, I reckon,” Cameron said.

Despite his own team being bundled out by the Dogs juggernaut in the preliminary final, Cameron said he was happy for his old club.



Liam Picken shows off his trademark toughness during the Grand Final. Picture: Getty Images

“I was there 18 years as a player and a coach and it was fantastic to see Liam Picken, Dale Morris, Matthew Boyd and Easton Wood, all those guys you had something to do with just to name a few, to deliver what they’ve delivered,” he said.

“I’m just shattered it wasn’t us ... but in terms of what that club has been through ... it’s just a magnificent story.”

Gotch said he wasn’t surprised by Picken’s matchwinning performance.

“He’s unbelievable in his mindset and his mental strength. I’m so proud of him,” he said.

“You never doubted that he would give 100 per cent — he was just that kind of guy.

“He would play his role for the team and when you needed him he’d stand up and do something special.”

[choconmientay]

My screen-saver of the best player of the 2016 final series.



LINK

[choconmientay]

Nice story here about Picken's six-year old son. How proud would he be having his dad's medal for "Show & Tell"

'Best day of show and tell ever!': Western Bulldog's six-year-old son takes his father's AFL premiership medal to school

• The son of Western Bulldogs star Liam Picken impressed his kinder friends
• Malachy Picken brought his dad's AFL premiership medal to show and tell
• The 6-year-old couldn't hide the grin from his face as he posed for a photo
• His mother, Melbourne mummy blogger Annie Nolan, uploaded the snap

The son of Western Bulldogs star Liam Picken upstaged his kindergarten classmates by bringing in his father's AFL premiership medal to a 'Show and Tell' day at school.

Malachy Picken, who turned six earlier this year, had a grin from ear to ear as he posed for a photograph next to his dad with the gold medal dangling from his neck.

His mother, popular Melbourne mummy blogger Annie Nolan, proudly uploaded the snap across her social media accounts on Wednesday morning.

The caption read: 'Malachy's best day of 'Show & Tell' at kinder everrrrrrrrr!'


Western Bulldogs star Liam Picken and his six-year-old son Malachy went to a 'Show and Tell' day at school with his AFL premiership medal

It's not the first time that Malachy, 6, has had the honour of slinging the premiership medal over his neck (pictured in bed with his twin sisters and parents the morning after the win)

Ms Nolan also explained to a friend that Malachy and his two sisters were confused why their father spent Monday resting after a weekend of celebrations.

'He relaxed most of yesterday and went to bed at 6pm last night. The kids were very confused why Dad was asleep before their bedtime,' she said.

Liam Picken was instrumental in the Western Bulldogs historic win over the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, topping the field with three goals and 25 disposals.

It's not the first time little Malachy has had the honour of slinging the premiership medal around his neck.

Early on Sunday morning, the day after the grand final win, Ms Nolan uploaded a snap in bed with Malachy proudly showing off the medal besides his sleeping father.

'We woke up like this (except Liam who is get to wake up, of course),' she wrote.

....

[bornadog]