On Monday, the AFL Commission approved the picks, as well as providing North two additional rookie list berths for next year.
The league has constantly emphasized that it wishes to avoid further undermining the draft, which may have contributed to the Roos’ low assistance picks. The Kangaroos have won only 10 of their last 82 games over a four-year span, never finishing better than second-bottom.
It is a considerable improvement over last year, when the league gave them two future draft picks (neither in the first round) that had to be used to trade for at least one player, ultimately bringing Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker from Fremantle.
North Melbourne will be busy again during the player transfer period, having previously persuaded out-of-contract Swan Dylan Stephens to request a four-year trade with them.
Carlton’s Zac Fisher, too, is poised to join the Kangaroos despite being under contract until the end of 2025.
According to three people acquainted with the matter, North has entered a four-club contest with Adelaide, the Brisbane Lions, and Hawthorn for Gold Coast forward-ruck and ex-Tiger Mabior Chol. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because a trade had not yet been agreed upon.
Chol, who fell out of favour with the Suns this season after scoring 44 goals last year, would help the Roos cover for departed ruckman Todd Goldstein and provide much-needed backup for Nick Larkey inside 50.
The other three clubs, however, pose a formidable challenge. The Crows have made it clear that they will not deal Elliott Himmelberg to the Giants, where brother Harry plays, unless they get Chol or another forward-rucker.
Tall swingman Chris Burgess is also scheduled to leave the Gold Coast for Adelaide, but his arrival is unlikely to persuade the Crows to release Himmelberg.
North Melbourne investigated opportunities all year to acquire access to Tasmanian hotshot draft prospect Ryley Sanders, this year’s Larke medal winner as the best player in the under-18 championships, but rival clubs objected.
Sanders, who is expected to be selected in the top ten, is of Indigenous descent and was approved as a Next Generation Academy prospect last week following a lengthy procedure and certification issues.
Under league regulations, clubs can match an opponent’s bet on an NGA player only after the first 40 picks, thus the Roos will have to draft him with one of their own.
They will have to wait until free agency begins late next week to find out how much compensation they will receive for restricted free agent Ben McKay, who wants to join Essendon.
Bontempelli and Petracca are clear Brownlow favorites, according to our experts.
North has the option to match the Bombers’ six-year offer, which is anticipated to be worth approximately $750,000 per season. It’s uncertain if that will be enough to trigger first-round compensation, which would be the Kangaroos’ third pick.
With that compensation and the AFL’s assistance package, they are anticipated to make a bid for the Suns’ pick four, however the Western Bulldogs are the front-runners with an offer that includes selections 10 and 17 this year as well as a future first-round pick. In that situation, the Dogs would receive compensation from the Gold Coast, unless North Melbourne outperformed them.
The AFL Commission can evaluate any special assistance picks if the Kangaroos improve significantly next season, but there is no reason they cannot trade those picks this year.
AFL chief executive-elect Andrew Dillon said North Melbourne’s two-year support package will help the club regain competitiveness on the field.
“North Melbourne has faced considerable challenges in recent years, having not finished higher than 17th on the AFL ladder in the four seasons since 2020,” Dillon told the crowd.
“The club presented to the AFL on how assistance can potentially help the club improve its on-field performance… [and] ensuring North Melbourne is competitive on the field and can build strength across its organisation, in the short and long term, is important for both the club and the broader competition.
“Under the leadership of president Sonja Hood, CEO Jennifer Watt, and the club’s board, the AFL believes North Melbourne is on the right track.
“After assessing the club’s position, the special assistance package can help the club deliver on its strategy for overall improvement in its football program and give greater confidence to staff, players and supporters.”
Ireland and de Boer join the AFL Commission
Claire Siracusa
Matt de Boer and Andrew Ireland will join the AFL Commission, filling two vacancies that had been open since 2021.
Former GWS and Fremantle player de Boer and Swans board member Ireland were endorsed by the commission on Monday and will begin their duties at the next meeting in October. They will be elected by the 18 clubs during the annual general meeting in March 2024.
Andrew Ireland has joined the AFL Commission.
This masthead reported Ireland’s likely move to the commission earlier in September.
The appointments follow AFL chairman Richard Goyder’s vow to fill at least one commission vacancy with a director with elite playing experience, which the commission has not had since West Coast and Sydney premiership player Jason Ball stepped down in early 2021.
“Andrew and Matt bring a great mix of club and football playing and administration experience across four states that gives them an insight into both how we play the game and also how we support the growth of the game and engage communities who currently are not connected to our game,” according to Goyder.
“They are also leaders with strong values and strong views who are passionate about our game and what it needs to do to continue to be the game of choice for Australia’s best athletes.”
Ireland played 110 games for Collingwood and has almost 30 years of administrative experience, particularly in growing the game in Queensland and New South Wales. He was the Swans’ CEO from 2009 to 2018, and he will stand down from the board to take on his post with the commission.
De Boer retired at the conclusion of 2022 after 223 AFL games, 138 with Fremantle and 85 with the Giants. He was a part of his clubs’ leadership groups for all but four years of his 14-year AFL career, and he also served as an AFLPA player representative.
