North Melbourne (1997–2002) Nicknamed "Choppy", Pickett burst onto the scene in 1997 with the
North Melbourne Football Club, playing only one game. However, in 1998, he had a fine year and was rewarded with the
Norwich Rising Star award. At only 178 cm and 86
kg, Pickett was not a large Australian Rules player, however he is solidly built and unquestionably tough. Pickett developed a reputation as a 'tough' player for his aggressive attack on the ball, with a frequent tendency to cause opponents serious injuries. Pickett was known for hard bumps and was consequently suspended three times from 2001. Kickett was known to kick clutch
torpedo goals during his tenure at the Kangaroos. In 1999, he played in a
premiership team with the
Kangaroos, before switching to the club he originally played for in the SANFL, Port Adelaide Football Club, in 2002. In the last days of his playing career with North Melbourne, he famously broke the
collarbone of Geelong's
Darren Milburn in a hard clash.
Port Adelaide (2003–2005) He moved to Port Adelaide in 2003, a season in which he kicked 43 goals in 25 games (2nd on the list of top goal kickers in 2003). He was part of
Port Adelaide's first-ever
AFL premiership in 2004, and his 3-goal, 20 possession performance earned him the
Norm Smith Medal. At the end of the 2005 season Pickett was traded to , finishing a short but successful stint at Port Adelaide.
Melbourne (2006–2007) At the end of 2005, Pickett was involved in a trade that saw him play at the
Melbourne Football Club from 2006 onwards, and he has vowed not to alter his style of play. He wore No 33, previously worn by former Aboriginal player
Jeff Farmer. In a Round 7, 2006, clash with
Fremantle at the
MCG, Pickett sent
Ryan Crowley to hospital with a broken
cheekbone. Pickett suffered successive
hamstring injuries in 2006 which sidelined him for several games. 2007 began slowly for Pickett, not selected in the initial rounds due to poor pre-season match fitness; however, he returned in Round 4. In April, he laid a heavy tackle on
Tadhg Kennelly which tore Kenelly's
anterior cruciate ligament. On 5 May 2007, Pickett laid a strong tackle on Port Adelaide's
Kane Cornes, which left him concussed and taken from the ground on a stretcher. After Round 6 in 2007, the Demons suspended Pickett to a minimum of four weeks at the
Sandringham Football Club for the official reason of failing to attend a game. Unofficially, there were club concerns surrounding Pickett's weight and pre-season work ethic and him turning up to training under the influence of alcohol. Despite drawing criticism late in his career for being increasingly overweight and slow, he maintained an impact in matches, continuing to score goals and make game-turning plays. Byron Pickett announced his last game of football on Sunday 2 September, in the match against Carlton, retiring along with Demons teammates
Clint Bizzell and
Nathan Brown. He kicked a goal in his final game against the Blues. ==Controversy==