Kysaiah Pickett led Melbourne to a stunning upset win over Fremantle, but raised eyebrows with a cheeky celebration after his fifth goal.
The Demons posted a hard-fought 10-point win to ease the pressure on coach Simon Goodwin, with Pickett a key contributor to the victory.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pickett’s interesting celebration.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
He kicked four goals in a brilliant first half, but it was what he did after his fifth that had the AFL world talking.
The 23-year-old edged opponent Josh Draper under the ball before turning and sprinting into an open goal.
However, just before he slammed through the major, he turned back to his opponent and flashed two fingers at him in the form of a “peace” symbol.
The act was particularly noteworthy given Pickett has been linked to a move back home to WA with the Dockers reportedly very keen.
Richmond great Jack Riewoldt didn’t miss the chance to point that out.
“That could lead to an interesting conversation in about 10 months’ time, the little celebration there from Kozzy Pickett,” he said on Fox Footy.
“I don’t know what he’s doing there.”
Entering Saturday’s match at the MCG with a dismal 0-5 record, the Demons dramatically turned their fortunes around with a style of play rarely seen from them over the past 12 months.
Melbourne had kicked 12.2 by halftime — equalling their highest score of the year, which came back in Round 1 in a narrow defeat to GWS.
But the Demons’ attacking surge slowed after the main break, as a game-high lead of 29 points was whittled back to six with seven minutes remaining.
Melbourne youngster Harvey Langford calmly snapped a settling goal, a minute after Fremantle star Shai Bolton made a mess of a long-range set shot that would have levelled the scores.
Captain Max Gawn had some huge moments late to ensure Melbourne hung on in front of 25,202 fans.
Following Carlton’s two straight victories, Melbourne inherited the mantle of the team under the most pressure after four consecutive poor performances.
But the Demons started the match like it was the 2021 premiership-winning side, not the team that had been belted by North Melbourne, Gold Coast and Geelong.
Melbourne’s premiership stars all raised their output, but it was Pickett who set the tone with an electrifying display against a club he could possibly be playing for next season.
Starting in the midfield, Pickett pushed forward with devastating impact to boot four first-half goals and finished with five.
Even with fellow key defenders Steven May and Jake Lever out injured, Harrison Petty played forward and slotted three goals before the main break and finished with four.
Bolton, who had just one possession in the first quarter, showed his class with three goals, including a goal of the year contender, to be Fremantle’s most damaging player.
Experienced Dockers midfielder Jaeger O’Meara failed to take any part in the final quarter after pulling up sore late in the third term.
Melbourne face Richmond and West Coast - the AFL’s two bottom teams - in the next two weeks, giving them an opportunity to build on the momentum of this victory.
Fremantle return home to Optus Stadium for an Anzac Day battle with Adelaide on Friday.
- With AAP
