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Ghost Dog
28-07-2012, 08:32 AM
http://images.theage.com.au/2012/07/27/3499111/art-svFINALWORD-620x349.jpg


FINAL WORD

BILLY Picken, father of the Western Bulldogs' Liam Picken, is one of the game's personalities. A butcher's son from the small country town of Macarthur, south of Hamilton, he arrived at Collingwood in 1974 as a 17-year-old forward.

At 188 centimetres, Billy wasn't tall, even by the standards of the day, but his game was built around exhilarating high marking. "No punching from behind for us blokes," he says. We're speaking on the phone but I feel a grin coming down the line. Billy was famous for commentating as he played. "Here comes Billy!" he'd cry as he leapt into the sky.

In 1975, Billy was swung to centre half-back. His first opponent was Richmond's Royce Hart, centre half-forward in the AFL Team of the Century. In 1976, Collingwood finished last. In 1977, under new coach Tom Hafey, it finished on top of the ladder, losing to North Melbourne in a grand final replay after the first grand final was drawn. That's the game Billy remembers most - the drawn grand final.
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That was as close as the Pies would get under Hafey. History would say they weren't that talented but always found something come finals time, pushed bravely for the flag - and lost. They became one of footy's romantic causes. They had a kid called Daicos with skills as fine as you'd see. They had an athletic giant with a mop of blond hair called Peter Moore. And, at centre half-back, taking on all-comers in the air and looking like a scruffy schoolkid, they had Billy Picken.


http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/pickens-a-bluecollar-bulldog-20120727-22zfk.html

Maddog37
28-07-2012, 09:25 AM
I would love to see Liam be allowed to get his own ball and not tag for a couple of games and see what he could do.

Ghost Dog
28-07-2012, 09:39 AM
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Greystache
28-07-2012, 10:43 AM
Picken is a great example to a lot of young players of how big a role determination plays in helping you reach the elite level.

What I can't understand is how his Dad can be 188cm back in the 70's, his Mum's side can produce the 195cm Jonathon Brown, and yet Liam is so small :confused:

Ghost Dog
28-07-2012, 11:23 AM
Williamstown's role in helping him come through; we have to be very grateful for that.

bornadog
28-07-2012, 11:59 AM
This is in the wrong forum - should be Dog's Day

azabob
28-07-2012, 12:01 PM
This is in the wrong forum - should be Dog's Day

Are you sure? Bulldogs Unleashed: Western Bulldog discussion and News Articles.

Great article, great writer and great topic.

bornadog
28-07-2012, 12:19 PM
Picken is a great example to a lot of young players of how big a role determination plays in helping you reach the elite level.

What I can't understand is how his Dad can be 188cm back in the 70's, his Mum's side can produce the 195cm Jonathon Brown, and yet Liam is so small :confused:

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For those who have never seen Billy play you can see some traits in Liam. You may want to mute this when you play:D

AndrewP6
28-07-2012, 10:06 PM
Are you sure? Bulldogs Unleashed: Western Bulldog discussion and News Articles.

Great article, great writer and great topic.

Agreed, both forums contain news articles.