Collingwood is mourning the loss of one of his favorite sons following the death of Billy Picken at the age of 66.
Collingwood is mourning the loss of one of his favorite sons, high-flying defense attorney Bill Picken, who has died aged 66.
Picken was one of the club’s most popular players and characters in 212 games and 11 seasons, from 1974-83 and 1986.
He was a two-time Copeland Trophy winner and the father of 2016 Western Bulldogs Premiership player Liam Picken.
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He played 28 games for Sydney over two seasons in 1984-85, bringing his VFL game tally to 240 games and 46 goals.
Picken played in five Grand Finals for Collingwood – 1977 (twice), 1979, 1980 and 1981.
The Magpies failed to win any of those five Premiership playoffs, but Picken was named among the Magpies’ best players in four of those five GFs, including his team’s top player in the 1979 and 1981 losses to Carlton.
Teammate Peter Daicos once described Picken as “without a doubt the finest finals player…a superb player for big occasions who played his best football when it mattered.”
Picken was a dashing defender who always liked to take risks at a time when so many other backers favored safer measures.
He was a real character who often drove his opponents – and even some of his teammates – into despair with his constant on-pitch chatter, including the famous comments he made throughout the games with phrases like “Look out, here comes Billy.” .
Picken made the Collingwood No. 25 jump jump famous in an age of high flyers and was a regular in the Mark of the Week segment on Channel 7’s legendary World Of Sport every Sunday.
He’s twice won Brand of the Year awards – with a sensational performance in his fourth game against Richmond in 1974 and a tremendous leap over St Kilda’s Barry Breen in 1976.
In his debut game against Carlton in 1974, he scored a brilliant one-handed mark, but it was disallowed by the referee.
Another of his classic grabs defeated one of his great rivals Mark Maclure in the 1979 Grand Finals.
Former teammate Tony Shaw said: “He (Picken) was one of the best brands I’ve seen. He could take them out from any position – running in the front, running in the back of the packs and over the top.”
Picken’s two Copeland Trophies came in 1978 and 1983. Such was his consistency that he was placed Best and Fair on four other occasions.
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said Picken’s loss would be heartily felt by his former team-mates and numerous Magpie fans, who loved the star centre-back dearly.
“Everyone loved Billy,” McGuire said. “I first met him when I was a kid going to Victoria Park before the grand final in 1979. He was such a great guy and a great player.
“As a kid I went into my jumping selection with (Peter) McKenna (No. 6), (Phil) Carman (No. 9) and (Bill) Picken (No. 25). They were the guys we all wanted to be.”
Picken had been recruited to Victoria Park after playing in a Western Border Football League combined team against the Magpies under-19 side.
He became one of the best central defenders in the game and won selection as a center back in Collingwood’s Team of the Century.
Unfortunately, a pay dispute caused Picken to join the Swans in 1984, a year after winning Best and Fairest award, where he played for two seasons.
But it was fitting that he returned to Victoria Park for another season in 1986, where he played five more games in the unknown No. 2 show jumper.
Picken’s big final heartbreak was at least partially mitigated by the fact that his son Liam played such a big part in the Bulldogs’ 2016 Premiership fairy tale.
Another son, Marcus, also played for Brisbane.
Originally posted as Billy Picken dead: AFL mourns Collingwood legend