North Melbourne got to work on their list management decisions immediately following the conclusion of their season, delisting 11 players.
Jamie Macmillan, Majak Daw, Jasper Pittard, Ben Jacobs, Paul Ahern, Mason Wood, Sam Durdin, Marley Williams, Joel Crocker, Lachie Hosie and Tom Murphy have all been told they will not receive new contracts for 2021.
Will other clubs see value in any of those 11 and throw them a delisted free agency lifeline?
Gerard Whateley, Garry Lyon and Anthony Hudson discussed on AFL Nation.
Whateley: “There are players they will try to offload and pay the majority of their money while they go and play elsewhere.”
Lyon: “That’s 11 players and there’s still more to come?”
Whateley: “Yeah, I think it’ll be more than 15 (players moved on) by the time they’re done.”
Hudson: “You’ve got to replace these players though.”
Whateley: “Yeah, I know.”
Lyon: “So list sizes will come down by what? Four?”
Whateley: “Max. There’s mixed reports on that now.”
Lyon: “So they’re going to trade in or go to the draft for 16 players? There’ll only be crumbs left.”
Whateley: “What of Majak Daw, whose journey might be over?”
Lyon: “From a pure football point of view I understand it. If you can’t secure a spot in this team at the moment, then that would suggest you’re a fair way off it.”
Hudson: “They didn’t give him a chance to play where he played his best footy. He didn’t play down back.”
Lyon: “Would he be able to play centre half back in a team much better organised than where North Melbourne is at now? I don’t know. I’m glad he was given the opportunity to come back and play that game. I don’t think he’s going to be an AFL player long term and that’s harsh, but these are the conversations. I don’t think he’s in the AFL system (next year).”
Whateley: “Will any of those 11 get another chance? So Macmillan has had his career, Pittard…”
Lyon: “Someone may look at him (Pittard). Maybe. A team in a stronger setup.”
Hudson: “The Ben Jacobs story is just really sad the way that has finished because that’s an important player in that team when they were getting to Preliminary Finals.”
Whateley: “Paul Ahern has had his second go at it, you don’t imagine he’d (get picked up). Wood has always been a mystery, good luck if you think you can unravel that, Williams is probably done.”