{xtypo_dropcap}W{/xtypo_dropcap}hen seventeen year old Larry Kickett ran onto Perth Oval for the first Colts game of the 1974 season he would have had no idea that it was to be the beginning of  an association with football that would span over half a century.

Kickett went on to play two hundred and twenty seven games of league football, coached with success at several levels, worked with the ABC’s legendary George Grljusich, has involved himself heavily with the National Indigenous Cadetship Project, and is a board member of the Western Australian Football Commission.

Larry was the first Kickett to make an impression on the WAFL scene, but certainly not the last.

His first cousin Derek later became a sensation both in the WAFL and VFL, with another cousin Graham a premiership player at East Fremantle, and nephew Dale a star at the Fremantle Dockers. The bloodlines don’t stop there either, as a matter of fact they get even more impressive. Nicky Winmar is a cousin, Buddy Franklin and Jeffery Garlett are nephews, and Brad, Cliff, and Derek Collard are also related.

A cool and collected midfielder Larry Kickett played junior and senior football at Tammin before going to Guildford Grammar School, and played in the first eighteen, with Dalton Gooding, later to play at Claremont, and John McGuire (East Perth) among his team mates. Such was Kickett’s football ability, he became captain of the Guildford Grammar team. 

Kickett was also a highly promising cricketer as  a member of Guildford Grammar’s first X1, which was the last from the School to win the prized Darlot Cup in the Public Schools Association competition when they tied with Aquinas. He went on to play first grade for West Perth in the WACA pennant competition before deciding to concentrate on the winter sport. At that time Perth had two Sunday newspapers, one of which, the Independent, offered a prize of fifty dollars for the fastest fifty, and Kickett cashed in one day against the might of Terry Alderman and Graeme Watson from Subiaco-Floreat.   

Grant Dorrington was Larry’s first coach at East Perth, then again in the seconds and also his league coach. “Now he works for me(at the WAFC),”  Larry laughed.

“My first league game was the first time they’d played on Anzac Day,” Kickett said. “I came onto the ground in the last quarter, laid a tackle on Mike Fitzpatrick,  and got a free kick, which was my first kick in league football.” East Perth enjoyed good depth in rovers at that time, with Alex Hamilton, Hans Verstegen, and later Peter Spencer wearing the blue and black, and Kickett struggled to gain a regular spot in the side. 

Beaten grand finalists in 1974, East Perth appointed Kevin Murray to the coaching position the following season, only to see Murray relinquish the job on personal grounds, and Ray Giblett took over the reins. Kickett became a regular in the side, alternating between wing and centre. In 1978 Barry Cable coached the side and immediately requisitioned the number nine guernsey. Kickett had worn that particular guernsey for identical reasons because a former wearer of the number, Syd Jackson, was a boyhood idol.  but had to bow to the man in power, and wore thirty four.

Thirty four turned out to be a lucky number for Larry, because he wore it on the twenty third of September of that year, when East Perth, who had struggled to make the finals, caused a boilover by defeating Perth by two points.  Kickett lined up in the centre in the grand final, as he had for most of the year, accompanied by John McGuire, playing on a wing.

Reverting to his old number in 1979 after Cable switched to seven, Larry maintained his form as East Perth steamed into finals contention once again. In the first semi final Kickett booted a brilliant goal from the forward pocket to put the Royals a point in front with seconds remaining, but East Fremantle managed to scramble to a two point win in a thrilling finish.

Old Guildford Grammar allegiances were recalled one day at Perth Oval. “It was an atrocious day, the mud from the old cricket pitch flying like buggery, we were playing Claremont, and Dalton Gooding’s glasses fell off,” Larry recalled. “Spotting me and John McGuire , his old school mates, he shouted out for help to find the missing specs in the slimy mud heap.” 

In 1983, Kickett, a life member and veteran of 158 games at East Perth, shocked supporters by seeking a clearance to Claremont.  “There was a bit of dissatisfaction among the playing group regarding the club’s policy of a payment ceiling on local, long standing players when imports were receiving considerably more,” he said. “When the club said there would be no negotiations it seemed to a few of us that our loyalty was being taken for granted and we weren’t being appreciated.”

“The dispute must have reached the ears of Claremont coach Graham Moss, and he rang, with no promises but intimating that a forward position was up for grabs with the Tigers.”

East Perth were also to lose the services of John Hayes, Paul Arnold, Chris Allen, and Steve Curtis.  

Moss used Kickett as a rebounding half back, a trailblazer of the role that in later years would become the norm.

Kickett played in a grand final with Claremont in 1983, Swan Districts proving the masters with a twenty one point win, and retired after three more seasons, one year before the club tasted premiership honours with a resounding victory over Subiaco in 1987.  “I’m grateful to the Claremont Football Club,” Larry said. “They gave me the opportunity to reach two hundred games.” Kickett’s sixty nine appearances with Claremont took his total to 227.

Appointed Colts coach, Kickett entered an era that was to rank among the most satisfying of his life. During his six years at the helm, Claremont colts played in five grand finals, winning one. Budding WAFL and AFL players Peter Mann, Ashley McIntosh, Don Pyke, and Jeremy Guard were just a few of the players Kickett helped mould into the stars they became in later years.

“They were great years,” Larry said. “With Gerard Neesham in charge of the league side and John Dimmer with the reserves, we had considerable success across all grades.” In the years Kickett was involved his colts won one premiership, the reserves bagged two, and the league side were successful four times.  Guildford Grammar School must have been impressed with the progress of their former student, and appointed him to coach the School’s first eighteen in 1993 and 94, after which Larry became the WA Football Development Trust’s director of coaching.

Larry and his family relocated to Karratha in 1998 and coached the Karratha Falcons for three years whilst working as a Coordinator with Woodside Energy and liaising with the Roebourne Aboriginal Community which he enjoyed thoroughly.

Kickett’s coaching swansong was at West Coast Amateurs in 2009 and 2010. 

Larry spent four seasons with the ABC’s George Grljusich and Glenn Mitchell as around the grounds man, and his dulcet tones were put to good use when he was at Karratha, where he hosted the Saturday Morning Sports Programme. 

He is now with Chevron as Specialist Employment Co-ordinator and Co-ordinator of Aboriginal Employment. Based in Perth, he spends extensive time in the Pilbara as Chevron’s Aboriginal mentor and community adviser. He knows that, as well as bringing a vast range of experience from all levels of football, he affords very specific knowledge on how the talent pathways and player retention  methods can be improved for indigenous players.

He wants his involvement at a senior administrative level to inspire other indigenous people to get involved in their own junior clubs, but also hopes that he can offer inside knowledge on how more indigenous people can be encouraged to get involved in football, and looked after so they stay involved.

Kickett is also a leader and advocate for indigenous culture and family, was a Director of the Aboriginal Sports Foundation and was a committee member of the Council for the Centenary of Federation. Larry was selected to carry the torch for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.   Larry has also been an Australia Day Ambassador where he has visited Esperance, Capel and Albany as part of his duties.

While admiring the skills of Stephen Michael and Maurice Rioli, Larry regards West Perth defender Leon O’Dwyer as the hardest he had to play on. “Tough as nails, hard to get a kick on,” and another back pocket player, East Perth teammate Stephen Curtis, as best he’d played with.

Larry played on present day Minister for Sport and Recreation Terry “Tuck” Waldron one day. “The story goes I kicked 9 goals on him, which isn’t true,” he laughed.”  “I did kick 9 goals that game but only a couple on him.”

 “We make a story out of it each time we catch up and it is a good laugh.”

 Larry Kickett has a boy( Lawson) and a girl (Tana), and now a Granddaughter (Marlee) and enjoys a round of golf at Collier Park. He is also a member of the WA Golf Club (Yokine)

Reflecting on his playing days, he is proud of the fact he played over two hundred games when the WAFL competition was at it’s best, and values the friendships he has enjoyed throughout his career, and continues today with team mates and opposition. But his focus now is twofold. “With the Football Commission we need to make the right decisions to ensure that football is enjoyed by all. It’s a big football family out there.”  And the National Indigenous Cadetship Project, aimed at improving the job prospects of Indigenous Australian students, has his full support.

Over five decades of involvement with football as outstanding player, premiership coach, junior development director, and a mountain of community work, Larry Kickett has become a highly respected member of not only the football community, but the community in general.

The boy who was born in a tent at Tammin has done well.