| Michael Pickering | |
| Fullname: | Michael Francis Pickering |
| Birth Date: | 24 November 1941 |
| Birth Place: | Canberra, Australia |
| Originalteam: | Stawell (SWFL) |
| Height: | 192 cm |
| Weight: | 83 kg |
| Statsend: | 1962 |
| Years1: | 1961–1962 |
| Club1: | North Melbourne |
| Games Goals1: | 6 (8) |
Michael Francis Pickering (24 November 1941 – 5 January 1995)[1] was an Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Pickering was the son of Wally Pickering, who was a legendary forward for Stawell.[2] Wally Pickering played in the club's inaugural Wimmera Football League premiership in 1939.[3]
From 1956 to 1959, Pickering went to St Patrick's College, Ballarat.[4]
Pickering, a ruckman from Stawell, was sought by both Essendon and North Melbourne.[5] Secured by the latter, Picking made three appearances early in the 1961 VFL season, before he was sidelined with an ankle injury and then a dislocated elbow, which ended his season.[6] [7] It wasn't until the 16th round of the 1962 season that he returned to senior football, a game against Melbourne at Arden Street Oval, in which he kicked three goals.[6] [8] The following round, at Kardinia Park, he kicked another three goals, from a forward pocket.[9] His next appearance, in round 18, would be his last for North Melbourne.[6]
He decided to return to Stawell in 1963 and remained with the club for many years, finishing his Wimmera career with 220 games and three club best and fairest awards.[10] [11] In 1969 he was the joint leading vote getter in the Toohey Medal, with Nhill's Rod Coutts, but lost on countback.[11] The league decided in 2003 to award retrospective medals to all players who finished second on countback, which included Pickering.[12] His son, Liam Pickering, a former North Melbourne and Geelong footballer, collected the award on behalf of his father, who died in 1995.[11] [13]