Derek Kickett

Arriving in the VFL as a mature-age recruit via Western Australia and the SANFL's Central District, Derek Kickett made an immediate impression at North Melbourne in 1989. Despite playing every game in his debut season, he transferred to Essendon the following year, where his mercurial talents found a perfect stage. Kickett was a heavily built but exceptionally agile utility, known for his booming torpedo punts and ability to dominate games from centre half-forward or centre half-back. His natural flair and unpredictable playstyle made him a crowd favourite and a difficult proposition for opposition coaches, who often struggled to find a suitable match-up for his unique physical attributes.

His tenure at Windy Hill ended in infamous circumstances when, after playing every match of the 1993 season, he was omitted from the premiership-winning Grand Final side by Kevin Sheedy. The decision prompted Kickett to walk out on the club and join the Sydney Swans, where he enjoyed a successful career twilight as a creative defender under Ron Barassi. He eventually reached the biggest stage in 1996, playing in the Grand Final for Sydney, though he was unable to secure a premiership medal as the Swans fell to his original club, North Melbourne. He remains a cult figure in the game, remembered as one of the most naturally gifted players of the 1990s.