Dale Kickett: Former Fremantle Docker and Claremont great reflects on his WA Football Hall of Fame entry

For a large period of Dale Kickett’s career, he thought playing for five AFL clubs meant he wasn’t good enough. It took a reminder that five clubs all recruited him because they loved the way he played to change his perception and now he’s days away from being inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame. Kickett’s career included three premierships, two Simpson Medals and one best-and-fairest for Claremont, being a top-10 draft pick for Fitzroy, plus seasons with West Coast, St Kilda and Essendon before becoming a beloved star at Fremantle. But it wasn’t easy. “Ideally I would have loved to have stayed with one club. But it shaped me,” Kickett explained. “I’d given up after my third attempt. I doubted my ability, like all young fellas do. But someone said to me that I keep being given opportunities by good clubs and good coaches so I must have something to offer. That’s what kept me going. “I’m bloody stoked to get the recognition for my footy career now. I never expected any of this. I was happy with just being able to play AFL footy.” Kickett’s remarkable story began when Fitzroy drafted him from Claremont with pick nine in 1989. He was initially reluctant to move to Victoria and that prompted coach Rod Austin to fly WA, then drive to Kalbarri where he convinced the 20-year-old to move interstate. Kickett played 15 games and kicked 13 goals for the Lions in 1990 before being traded home to West Coast. The Eagles finished on top of the ladder in 1991 and Kickett struggled for opportunities despite leading Claremont to the flag and winning the Simpson Medal. His time at West Coast ended in February 1992 but St Kilda pounced just one month later when they selected him in the pre-season draft. Kickett wasn’t keen on moving his life again and wanted to spend the year playing for Claremont. St Kilda coach Ken Sheldon had other ideas. He flew to Perth ahead of his team’s round three clash against West Coast at Subiaco Oval, drove to Kickett’s job and told him he was playing that weekend despite never even seeing him train. Kickett became a key part of the team, missing only one match for the rest of the season and playing in well during finals. Then he experienced more heartbreak when the Saints de-listed him just three weeks before the 1993 season began. Shattered, Kickett decided to play country footy for Tammin but Claremont coach Gerard Neesham lured him back, turned him into a running defender and just three months later, Essendon selected him in the mid-season draft. Faced with the choice of moving again and chasing a flag with the Bombers or staying in Perth and trying to win the premiership for Claremont, Kickett remained loyal to the men he’d played with all season. He won the WAFL flag, another Simpson Medal and then moved to the Bombers for the 1994 season. That move didn’t work out because the Bombers wanted him to be a small forward and when Fremantle joined the AFL, Neesham made Kickett one of his priorities. He finished runner-up in the best-and-fairest in the Dockers’ first two seasons, won the Doig Medal in 1997 and retired in 2002 as a Fremantle great. “I thought I needed to go home and play under someone who knew me. Gerard was the one who moved me to the backline,” he said. ““I always tried to be a flashy forward, take high marks and kick goals. When I moved to the backline, I wanted to intercept mark, run down the ground and bounce the ball. That was my strength. I’m glad it all worked out.”