Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Tim Pickup took 2 team-mates with him from the Bears and together their impact at Belmore was immediate. Promising young Centre Keith Harris developed though never realised his enormous potential, and Dave Cooper's contribution should never be underestimated by Canterbury fans.
Cooper at that stage had just retired and the former Norths, Balmain and Cronulla Forward turned his passion for fitness into the role of Trainer/Conditioner. His tough training regime set the tone for Canterbury's team,giving them a physical and mental edge and a template that has been replicated by future Bulldogs squads right up until the present day. Dave Cooper's massive influence on the club was recognised when he was awarded Life Membership in 2010.
Pickup's tenure with the Belmore club (player #406) started with a bang in 1975. As Captain he led the team to a barnstorming start to the season, and after the club's loss in the 1974 NSWRFL season's grand final to Eastern Suburbs the Belmore faithful were feeling that they had found the missing piece to the elusive premiership puzzle. Tim was first choice Five-eighth for all representative games for City, State and for Australia, but that momentum came crashing to a halt when he severely injured his knee in a World Cup match against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in June of that season. Canterbury were in 2nd place at that time and would eventually be knocked out in the major semi-final and Pickup would not play again that year, he would also miss the entire 1976 season recovering from complications to the same injury.
Tim would return in 1977 to Captain the newly monikored Bulldogs, but his speed was zapped due to his knee injury and after being dropped to 2nd grade for the first time in his career, in either code, he spent the rest of his days as a professional alternating between 1st and reserve grade. Although devastated at the demotion, the influence Pickup had on the next generation of pups that would graduate to be fully fledged Bulldogs superstars over the next decade cannot be underestimated. Players such as Folkes, Peponis, Bretnall and the Mortimer brothers all served their apprenticeships alongside Pickup during their formative years and Steve Mortimer states as much in his biography "Top Dog", devoting a chapter to the issue, with the title 'Toughened by Tim (Pickup) Tom (Raudonikis) and Terry (Lamb).'
Pickup was named KB Man of the Round in May 1978 and would Captain the Bulldogs 1st Grade side for the final time that season. He would play a single 1st Grade game in 1979, finishing his career at Belmore as Captain of the 2nd Grade side in a Grand Final loss to Parramatta (who was Captained by former Australian team-mate Arthur Beetson). He was named Clubman of the Year in 1979.
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