KYSAIAH Pickett will break the contract record for a small forward, whether he stays at Melbourne or leaves for a rival club, says AFL.com.au's Cal Twomey.
Pickett signed a four-year deal in 2023, recommitting to the Dees until at least the end of 2027, but has been attracting attention from Western Australian clubs trying to lure him home.
After a show-stopping performance of five goals and 24 disposals in the Dees' win against Fremantle on Saturday, Twomey says Pickett is on track to sign a record-breaking deal in the range of $5 million.
"Kozzy Pickett's next deal, be it at Melbourne or Fremantle or wherever he wants to go next, will be the biggest in history for a small forward," Twomey said on Gettable.
"He will get a long-term deal worth more than a million dollars a season, wherever he plays his footy.
"He's a free agent at the end of 2027. He'll get a five-year plus deal if it's to stay or to go. And for the first time in history, it'll probably be a five million dollar plus deal for a small forward.
"He's already on a lucrative deal with two years remaining, but I just want to put this on the radar because this is a guy who can do just about everything on the footy field."
Pickett, who missed the start of the 2025 season due to a three-match ban from the final game of 2024, has been in hot form since his return, playing in both midfield and forward.
After the Dees sealed their first win of the season against the Dockers, coach Simon Goodwin did not minimise the star's impact for his team.
"He caused chaos today," Goodwin said.
"I think what it highlighted today, and the first three weeks is how much we missed him (during his suspension).
"He's that type of player that we'll keep working out where the game needs him, similar to Christian (Petracca), and we'll keep putting him there.
"We love what he brought to the team, not only with the ball but his energy, his ability to tackle and pressure was to a really elite level."
Twomey says Pickett's performances this year prove he is worth a deal of $1m a season.
"He has history in his sights. And he deserves it because what we saw on the weekend shows how quality this guy is when he's up and going. He'll earn that money."
