LAKEESHA PICKETT has no memory of her dad playing football. She knows about his accolades and has seen his highlights on Youtube.

Yet despite being too young to remember her dad Byron Pickett playing on the biggest stage, he remains her idol.

Lakeesha was just two-years old when she was carried up by Byron onto the dais at the MCG as he collected the Norm Smith Medal after his Port Adelaide side won the 2004 AFL Premiership.

17 years on, she has used Fathers Day to reflect on that moment.

“I’ve seen some videos on Youtube of Dad taking me out,” Lakeesha told portadelaidefc.com.au. “It makes me feel really proud to know he took me out on stage and it’s something I’ll cherish forever.

“I’ve watched highlights of him and he was an incredible player.

“Dad is a real role model for me.”

Lakeesha is now a talented footballer in her own right, running out with Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFLW in 2021.

The strong marking forward/ruck is renowned for being just as hard at the footy as her dad. It’s a far cry from her roots playing netball on the state’s west coast.

“When I was younger, I didn’t really think I would play footy,” Lakeesha explained. “I grew up around footy but when I moved to Adelaide I thought I should give footy a go and have been playing for the Eagles since then.

“Hopefully I can play AFLW with Port Adelaide soon… it would be an amazing opportunity.

“I’ve grown up being a member of Port Adelaide and doing things with the club, like the community programs as well.

“My family would be proud, the people around me and hopefully I can be a role model for other Aboriginal kids who might look up to me.”

Byron – a father of five – regularly takes Lakeesha and her brothers to the park, working on their kicking with each foot and making sure they know the intricacies behind the way the ball bounces when you dribble it home from the pocket.

While Lakeesha focussed on netball until she was 14, Byron has no doubt she has the talent to make it at the highest level in football after just a few years in the game.

“At the club where the boys play at Port Districts, the coaches asked about whether (Lakeesha) wanted to play and after about three years she decided to have a crack at it and see if she liked it.

“She always had the talent but was focussed on the netball side of things first until she just thought she wasn’t getting into the higher grades.

“It was just a matter of her getting out there to see if she liked it, with the talent she had, and she loved it.”

And he has shared some fatherly advice along the way too.

“I try to give her the advice I give the boys,” Byron continued. “If you’re serious about your footy, get serious about it.

“You’ve got talent there and you can make something of it. You can make a name for yourself.

“It’s about taking advantage of the opportunities you get. I tell them to go out and do your best and if things don’t happen the way you wanted, you’ve got to keep going. Put your head down and keep going until you’ve got nothing left.

“Everything will take care of itself and like most parents, you support your kids whatever path you take.”

Lakeesha, who counts dual AFLW MVP Erin Phillips among her idols, was an excited onlooker as Port Adelaide was granted a licence to join the AFLW competition from 2022-2023.

She is now hoping to follow in her dad’s footsteps and become one of the club’s first father-daughter recruits.

“It would be really amazing,” she smiled. “I can imagine it right now and how proud my family would be of me.

“Especially for Dad who has pushed and helped me so much. Just to give back to him for helping me out so much. He means a lot to me.

“He holds a special place in my heart. He’s taught me a lot and I’m really grateful for it. He’s shown me a lot in football and if I keep pushing myself then good things will happen to me.”

It would be a proud moment for Byron as well – one he could not have predicted when he took Lakeesha up on stage at the MCG 17 years ago.

“It would be a pretty proud moment.. for her to follow in my footsteps,” the doting father said.

“I played my junior here at Alberton back in the day and to see one of my kids run out would be extra special.

“She’d have a lot of family watching on as well back in WA and Ceduna and I’m sure there’d be a tear or two there.

“For Lakeisha to get that opportunity to run out and play for Port Adelaide would be something special.

“I still remember that day when I carried her up when she was little. I’ll never forget that.”