North Melbourne list manager Glenn Luff has described how the Roos will look to secure Callum Coleman-Jones from Richmond and where they plan to play the key position prospect.
The tall Tiger is highly rated in AFL circles despite playing just nine senior games and has looked to move clubs due to a lack of opportunity at Richmond, reportedly solely keen on North Melbourne.
He’s been stuck behind Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt in the forward line, while the returning Toby Nankervis and Ivan Soldo will hold down the ruck positions at the club in 2022.
Luff confirmed North Melbourne are looking to do a deal early in the trade period for the 22-year-old and that their pick 20 will likely not be used.
The Roos hold picks 1, 20, 38 and 69 in the upcoming AFL draft.
“We’ve had some early discussions with the Tigers, we’ll put something to them pretty early in the trade period I would have thought,” Luff told AFL Trade Radio’s Trade Exchange.
“What happens with Robbie Tarrant will have an effect on that, (but) we’re pretty clear in our head what it would take, there’s plenty of history in terms of rucks and ruck forwards and what they go for at that age, so we’ll put something to the Tigers early and see how we go.
“We’re keen to keep pick 20, (pick) 38 or something around that region, that’s what history tells you will get this deal done, so we’ll be looking in that area.
“We don’t want to use (the pre-season draft) to get him through the door, but we’re pretty comfortable something should get done.”
Luff also revealed the club’s plans for when Coleman-Jones walks through the doors of Arden Street.
The young Tiger was rumoured to prefer to play as a hybrid ruck, the Roos confirming they see him as Todd Goldstein's heir.
“It’s pretty clear that (senior coach David Noble) is a two-ruck coach, he loves playing the two rucks,” Luff said.
“Clearly we’ve got Todd Goldstein who’s been a great player for us for a long time, but we had to look at the long term for our ruck stocks.
“We feel Callum is more of a ruck-forward than a forward-ruck, he probably hasn’t got that opportunity at the Tigers and he was keen to get more opportunity in the ruck and we think we can provide that.
“Goldstein played a lot more forward last year and it’s clear that he can do that, in the short term they can share the ruck duties and long term we think Callum is a really good option in the ruck.”
Goldstein will turn 34 during next year’s AFL season and is certainly in the twilight of his career, meaning Coleman-Jones’ biggest competition in the future will be other Roos ruckman Tristan Xerri.
North Melbourne showed strong signs of development in the back half of the year in David Noble’s first season of senior coaching to suggest there's hope for the future.