KOZZY Pickett is a star.

The Melbourne midfielder kicked four goals and took an absolute screamer to help guide his Demons to a solid 54-point win over Richmond on Anzac Day Eve at the MCG in front of a crowd of 67,364.

Pickett’s goals came at important junctures of the game. 

Two came during a five goal run by Demons leading into the half-time break. The other two came when Melbourne asserted its ascendency over Richmond late in the third quarter and early in the fourth.

Melbourne had 11 individual goal scorers in the team performance winning 19.12.126 to Richmond’s 11.6.72.

The win makes it Melbourne’s fifth for the season and puts the Demons in fourth place on the ladder, as the surprise packet of the 2026 season continued their unbeaten run at the MCG.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Richmond, whose list full of youth and a sprinkle of experience, took it up to the higher placed Demons for all but the final quarter when the sting had come from the game.

First-gamer Sam Cumming looked right at home at the highest level kicking a goal on debut whilst Mykelti Lefau took another step in the right direction as a key forward kicking two goals.

Despite showing signs of improvement on Friday night, the Tigers remain winless for the season.

00:30

RD 7 | Pickett doing Pickett things

Kysaiah Pickett bursts past the Tigers with electric pace and finishes with ease on the run

High flying Demon goes down
Demon fans were devastated when fan favourite Jai Culley went down with a knee injury in the second term. Culley, who had been given a second chance at Melbourne after being delisted by West Coast at the end of 2024, fell innocuously immediately grabbing at his right knee. Culley has a history of knee injuries having previously done his left ACL during his time at West Coast. Culley looked emotional at the half time break where he was consoled by his teammates, in a sign that there may be bad news to come.

GOALS
Richmond: Lefau 2, Campbell 2, Faull, Green, Cumming, Ralphsmith, McAuliffe, Lynch, Lalor
Melbourne: K.Pickett 4, Mihocek 3, Jefferson 2, Windsor 2, Fritsch 2, Chandler, Sparrow, Sharp, Laurie, Langford, Gawn

BEST
Richmond: Prestia, Ross, Brown, Lefau, Retschko
Melbourne: K.Pickett, Windsor, Sparrow, Steele, Howes

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Melbourne: Culley (knee)

LATE CHANGES
Richmond: Jayden Short (personal reasons) replaced in selected side by James Trezise
Melbourne: Nil

Crowd: 67,364 at the MCG