Upon graduation from St Anthony's Catholic Primary School he moved to Iona College and tried his hand at basketball, rugby union, water polo, athletics and volleyball.

While playing he was spotted by an AFL Queensland representative and was invited to join the AFLQ Rookie Search Program.

Matching up against former AFL players Peter Everitt and Trent Knobel in the grand final, Hickey's team would come back from a 20-point deficit at three quarter time to win the premiership.

Complications arose when the Gold Coast demanded a first-round selection for Hickey's service and the Saints eventually agreed to the deal.

[5] Hickey debuted for St Kilda in round 1 of the 2013 season in a loss to his former club Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

[10] Hickey returned as the premier Saints ruckman in 2016, playing his best game at St Kilda according to coach Alan Richardson in round 1 against Port Adelaide.

Strong form in a 2017 JLT Community Series match against Sydney – in which Hickey accumulated 29 disposals, 39 hit-outs and 18 contested possessions – did not translate to the regular season.

Hickey suffered back, medial ligament, calf and right shoulder injuries, the latter of which required post-season surgery.

[12] Hickey played 13 games in 2018, suffering a left hamstring tendon injury late in the season against the Western Bulldogs.