Former AFL player Marlion Pickett pleads guilty to two offences as burglary charges dropped
Dual Richmond premiership player Marlion Pickett, who had a fairytale rise to the top in AFL, has pleaded guilty to charges of possessing and dealing with stolen money — but multiple other charges against him have been dropped.
Pickett had been facing a dozen criminal charges, including aggravated burglary, stealing and criminal damage.
The charges related to alleged incidents in suburban Perth, Beverley and Bindoon in late 2022 and early 2023.
Police had alleged he was involved in burglaries on commercial properties in which hundreds of thousands of dollars was stolen, but the vast majority of those charges have now been dropped.
In the District Court in Perth today, Pickett pleaded guilty to two charges including dealing with money that was the proceeds of an offence and possessing money that was the proceeds of an offence.
The prosecutor said there was no reasonable prospect of conviction on the other charges, which were discontinued.
Pickett retired from AFL football last year.
He had to wait until the age of 27 to get his chance in the AFL when — after almost seven years with South Fremantle — he was selected by Richmond with pick 13 in the 2019 mid-season rookie draft.
He famously played in a premiership just a few months later in his first ever senior game, making his debut in the 2019 grand final, which the Tigers won by 89 points against GWS.
He became a dual premiership player the following year when Richmond defeated Geelong at the Gabba.
The 33-year-old will remain on bail ahead of a sentencing hearing in December.
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