North Melbourne’s ins, outs, and draft picks after the Trade Period
One of the Kangaroos’ busiest exchange periods in recent seasons comes to an end.
The 2023 Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period has come to a finish, and North Melbourne has concluded one of its busiest trade periods in recent memory on Wednesday night.
Brady Rawlings, the manager of lists and recruiting, and his group made four transactions, three of which came in the first week of the Trade Period.
Thanks in part to an AFL assistance package given in the run-up to the Trade Period, the Roos also participated in three free agency transactions and improved their draft position.
Here is an overview of the club’s business, and how the Kangaroos are placed heading into November’s AFL Draft.
Pre-Trade Period
The AFL Commission provided North Melbourne with an assistance package during the lead-in to the Trade Period which included the following:
Free Agency
In: Nil
Out: Todd Goldstein (Essendon)
After advising North Melbourne in September that he wanted to explore other options across the League, Goldstein officially became a Bomber as an unrestricted free agent.
In: 2023 AFL National Draft compensation (pick 3)
Out: Ben McKay (Essendon)
Defender Ben McKay was the next to leave Arden Street for Windy Hill, with the Roos receiving the No.3 pick as compensation for the departing restricted free agent.
In: Toby Pink (Delisted free agent)
Out: Nil
North Melbourne signed former Sydney Swans key defender Toby Pink as a delisted free agent late in Trade Period’s opening week, bringing in the 25-year-old from Glenelg where helped the SANFL side to the 2023 premiership and was named in the SANFL Team of the Year.
Trade with Sydney
In: Dylan Stephens, 2023 second-round selection (pick 25)
Out: 2023 third-round selection (pick 44), 2024 first-round selection (pick 19)
The Kangaroos used one of their assistance package pieces, along with a third-round pick, to acquire the services of 43-game youngster Dylan Stephens from the Swans.
“We just felt like we needed a bit more polish on the outside to progress forward. Obviously, we’ve watched Dylan for a long time since his Norwood under-age days, and then when he wasn’t getting a game throughout this year our interest increased even more,” Rawlings told AFL.com.au‘s Riley Beveridge and Cal Twomey.
Trade with Carlton
In: Zac Fisher, 2023 first-round selection (pick 17)
Out: 2023 first-round selection (pick 21), 2023 second-round selection (pick 25)
Using the pick 25 received from Sydney, North Melbourne went to work on bringing in the versatile Zac Fisher from Carlton, who arrived soon after Stephens with a 2023 first-rounder (pick 17).
“Carlton was keen on getting two picks rather than one and we were keen to keep getting up the draft order, so handing over the pick 25 and then sliding from 21 to 17 we saw as really beneficial for us,” Rawlings said.
Trade with Gold Coast
In: 2023 first-round selection (pick 18)
Out: 2024 first-round selection (pick 20)
Completing a busy opening Wednesday for Rawlings and his group was a pick swap with the Suns that saw the Roos trade out a 2024 assistance package pick for another 2023 first-round selection.
Trade with Richmond
In: Bigoa Nyuon
Out: 2023 fourth-round selection (pick 65)
The Kangaroos bolstered their key defensive stocks, landing versatile tall Bigoa Nyoun in a week two trade with Richmond. Nyuon gets a chance to develop his game at Arden St, while the Roos secured an athletic defender who can also play as a ruck.
Current draft hand
It’s a strong hand for the Roos, who hold five picks in the first round (2, 3, 15, 17, and 18 overall), along with pick 57 in round three and pick 82 in round five.
While the main trade deadline has now passed, clubs will again have the opportunity to swap selections from Monday, October 23 up until Friday, November 10, and then again on the first night of the 2023 AFL National Draft on Monday, November 20.
“We’re pretty comfortable with where we’re sitting at the moment,” Rawlings said.
“We’ve got five picks inside the first 18 … so we’ll still look to potentially maneuver to get up a bit higher but if it doesn’t come to fruition and we pick with two and three, we’re going to get two really good players.
“We’re confident in that top group (of players).”
