Before being drafted he completed a pre-season with Collingwood and two with the Bulldogs. He played 63 games and kicked 45 goals with Williamstown from 2005 to 2008 and in 2008 he was the Williamstown Seagulls best and fairest player in the Victorian Football League (VFL), winning the Gerry Callahan Medal and earning a position on the Bulldogs rookie list. He played in a Seconds premiership side at Williamstown in 2005 and finished in third place in the Seconds best and fairest the same year. He was awarded the most consistent player in the seniors in 2007.
AFL career
Picken made his debut against North Melbourne on 5 April 2009, collecting 9 possessions in a traditional tagging role against Kangaroos stalwart Brent Harvey, in which he kept his opponent goalless and largely ineffective.[1]
Since his brilliant debut, he has since played on other key players to great effect including Andrew McLeod, Leigh Montagna and Brett Deledio. He played on Deledio twice in 2009 and restricted the star player to just 16 and 13 disposals respectively, the only two times during the season that Deledio had fewer than 20 touches.
During a match against Fremantle in 2013, Picken accidentally collided with goal umpire Courtney Lai in the third quarter, when he was attempting to smother a point-blank shot at goal by Michael Walters; the result was that Lai, a qualified doctor, suffered what was a self-diagnosed an ACL tear. Picken recalled the clash as being "an accident".[2]
Although branded as a tagger, Picken could also win possession of the ball and use it well. When Luke Beveridge took over as coach of the Bulldogs at the end of 2014, he gave Picken a more attacking role.[3] During the Bulldogs' run to the 2016 AFL Premiership, Picken was a crucial figure, starring in all four finals and kicked three goals (including the sealer) in the Grand Final. He was awarded the Best Finals Player by the Western Bulldogs.
In 2017, the Australian food company Australian Almonds approached Picken, along with fellow footballers Scott Selwood, Max Gawn, Brianna Davey and Ellie Blackburn, to serve as an ambassador of their campaign to recognise hard-working but low-profile individuals through the Australian Hard Nut Awards.[3] Also in 2017, the late cricket legend Shane Warne ranked Picken as his favourite player in the league.[4]
While playing in a pre-season game against Hawthorn in Ballarat, Picken received an accidental knock to the head and suffered severe concussion and because of side effects missed the entire 2018 season.[5]
On 1 April 2019, after numerous comeback attempts, Picken announced his retirement due to ongoing concussion symptoms.[6]
He is married to Annie Nolan, a blogger and social commentator. They have three children: a son named Malachy (born in 2011)[7] and twin daughters, Delphi and Cheska (born in 2013).[8]
Liam Picken has pledged to donate his brain in hopes to aid further research in chronic traumatic encephopathy as a result of repetitive head injuries sustained during his time in the AFL.
Picken possesses undergraduate and masters degrees in international finance and business.[9]
In March 2023, Picken lodged a claim in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the AFL, the Western Bulldogs and two Bulldogs club doctors regarding concussion-related injuries, with Picken alleging that he was left in the dark about “irregular” cognitive tests, that he was never sent for expert help and he was repeatedly sent back onto the field to play despite repeatedly raising concerns about his ongoing concussion symptoms.[10] His initiation of a civil claim against the AFL occurred shortly after a similar claim was filed by former Collingwood player Emma Grant in the County Court of Victoria, and shortly before a similar claim was filed by former Geelong player Max Rooke in the Supreme Court of Victoria.[11]
Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2017 season[12]
