Kicking goals outside of football

Today, Michael Picker is still aiming high, but this time it’s all business.

In November 2013 Michael purchased the well-established business ‘Crookwell Sports and Toys’ off Bud and Nancy Reeves.

Third in line of the four boys to Grant and Jenna Picker of Bigga, Michael has always possessed the determination and belief to succeed in anything he puts his hand to.

Now, all these years later, his bravery and foresight has led the 24-year-old to be a proud young business owner in Crookwell.

The well-known store has been operating for about 60 years, while Bud had been working in the saddlery side of the business just shy of 26 years.

Michael said he saw it as a two-way business opportunity that was going to set him up for a more ‘reliable’ future.

His interest in the business stems from a gift he has in designing his own sportswear apparel – a brand named ‘Dillinger’.

Michael is a little reserved when speaking about his talent, but there is a definite flair.

“I started mucking around with the idea while I was playing footy over in Canberra,” said Michael, or Mick as he is more fondly known.

“When I finished up playing career football I decided I wanted to pursue it a bit more.

“But I was at home and working with dad and while I was working with him I was never going to do it.”

Michael said he had mentioned to his father that he was looking at getting some office space and maybe allocating a couple of days to his business.

“We were driving down the main street one day and dad said that Crookwell Sports and Toys was for sale,” he said.

 “We thought, without putting so much pressure on the sports apparel side, an actual sports store might be good.

“So we came and had a chat to Bud and Nancy.”                

Mick said initially he never thought of approaching the business in that way.

“I guess I didn’t think I would go in that hard that quick,” he said.

“I was happy to settle back for a few years and approach it part time.”

After starting with the Raiders when he was just 16-years-old, Mick stopped playing rep footy in July 2013.

He was forced to have an operation on his hip in August of the same year.

Over the years Mick had developed a lot of wear and tear on the hip joint subsequently resulting in bone on bone.

The joint had to be cleaned out and re-fitted.

“I was told to stop playing otherwise I would be looking at a hip replacement,” said Mick.

Accepting that he was going to have to move on from football, he knew he was going to have to do something else with his future.

“I knew I couldn’t play footy forever, so I always had it in the back of my mind to pursue my own business,” he said.

A mature young man, he is far from naïve and is under no elusion that it takes nothing but a lot of hard work to get where you want.

Mother Jenna said she was both excited and apprehensive when Michael first made the decision to take the business on.

“Obviously I really hope it all goes really well,” she said.

“He’s enthusiastic so I hope it all works out for him.

“I believe he will get there.”

Michael said it all feels “right” to be doing this in his hometown.

He also said he won’t be taking anything away from the popular store.

Toys, he said, are still the backbone of the business.

“There is not one day that has gone by without a toy being sold,” he said.

“Everything will be as it was before, but there will just be a bit more.

“The saddlery is a craft Bud has had for year, so I’m going to try to keep that service if I can”.

All sporting equipment will be continued including hockey sticks, cricket bats and tennis racquets as well as the fishing, hunting and horse supplies.

“It will be a very versatile, varied shop,” said Mick.

“Hence the name ‘The General Store’ once we have the signage completed.”

His vision is clear, a sign in the Western style writing and a shop that will cater for everybody in the district.

“I will also be introducing a lot more supporters gear for the public – not just rugby league, but I’ll be trying other codes as well,” he said.

As well as his NRL supporter gear Mick is stocking the well known surf wear label Ripcurl, Bullseye camo gear from Ridgline and of course his own label ‘Dillinger’.

‘Dillinger’, which is already up and running with caps and shearer’s singlets, should soon have polo t-shirts, football jumpers and track-suit pants available.

The brand made it to fruition after Mick, as he calls it, was “mucking around” with the idea.

“You would see kids go to presentation evenings and every year they would get a shirt that they would wear maybe once, maybe twice, and I thought there has to be a market for it – really good club gear that you don’t even realise is club gear, something really wearable.”

Hence, the creation of Dillinger as well as the catchy logo also designed by Mick.

And just in case he wasn’t busy enough, Mick now spreads his time between Crookwell and Bigga as he has to travel to Goulburn twice a week for football training.

You see, he has now taken on the captain/coach role of the Goulburn Workers Club Rugby League team.

But more on that later.

All going well, the shop or, ‘The General Store’, is set to be ‘refreshed’ in the near future.

Primarily Michael’s face will be the one greeting you, but others such as Mum, Jenna will also be on deck to help out.

“There will be some other faces coming in shortly, once we get everything settled down the track,” said Mick.

The General Store’ is open six days a week – 9.00am to 5.00pm weekdays and 9.00am to 12 Noon on Saturdays.

Make sure you pop in and find out what everybody is talking about.