North Melbourne is actively shopping Ben Brown to other clubs ahead of the trade period, according to Damian Barrett.
Speaking on The Sounding Board podcast, Barrett said the club is seeing what value is out there for the currently out of form key forward.
This comes as the veteran journalist was expressing his confusion with North Melbourne’s decision to re-sign veteran players last year, but shop their stars in 2020.
“What they should do is what they should have done last year and when they got offers, good offers, for older players like Shaun Higgins and Todd Goldstein, that was the time to start making decisions, not recontract them for stifling deals,” Barrett told The Sounding Board Podcast.
“They’re right to do that, but don’t then now put Ben Brown into the marketplace like they’re doing.”
When asked for clarification by co-host Craig Hutchison, Barrett said: “Absolutely they’re shopping (Brown).
“That doesn’t marry up with the decision to keep Shaun Higgins and Todd Goldstein.
“(They’re shopping him) to the industry. Any club that wants Ben Brown, there’s a conversation to be had.
“Take that off the headline list, that’s what happens in footy. Player out of contract, other teams are interested. (North) is open to a conversation. This is what happens in footy.
“(North is) trying to see what they can get for him… Ultimately there is a draft pick value on Ben Brown in a transaction with another club.”
Brown is out of contract at the end of the 2020 season, but is not a free agent.
The 27-year-old has been down on form this year, managing just seven goals from seven games.
Listen to the full podcast below