North Melbourne's mega Nick Blakey offer revealed

North Melbourne has offered Nick Blakey an eight-year contract worth around $12 million.

The huge deal has helped thrust the Roos to the front of the queue for the wantaway Swans defender.

Blakey met with Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick in Melbourne on Thursday as he and his manager Robbie D’Orazio continue to assess his options.

Geelong, St Kilda and Essendon have also been linked with the 26-year-old, who is determined to be traded out of Sydney in the wake of the Pullman Hotel scandal

Blakey has five years remaining on his Swans contract, but Sydney will do a deal if they’re presented with the right offer.

While Blakey is yet to make a decision, he is taking an increasingly favourable view of a move to Arden Street where he would reunite with former Swans Dylan Stephens and Luke Parker.

There is renewed optimism at North in the wake of Jaymie Graham’s appointment, while the prospect of playing at the same club his father John won two premierships at is also appealing for Blakey.

It would now appear all but impossible for the Cats to engineer a suitable trade having acquired Rowan Marshall with their first-round selection, while the Roos have pick 5 ahead of this year’s draft.

Essendon (1,15 and 19) and St Kilda (8 and 14) also have strong draft hands.

Clubs exploring trades for Blakey or any of the suspended Swans players have been told by the AFL that their fate won’t be known until after the trade period.

Those clubs said the league’s message was clear – buyer beware.

But Blakey’s eagerness to leave the Swans has triggered a wave of interest.

Breaking down Blakey: Where it sits with six clubs

Authored by SEN

Where will Nick Blakey end up?

The future of the Swans star is up in the air with a shift away from Sydney entirely possible.

SEN’s Tom Morris has broken down where it sits with the Swans as well as the five clubs interested - Geelong, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Essendon and North Melbourne.

“I’m very confident that Nick Blakey won’t be at the Sydney Swans next year based on what I know is happening,” Morris said on AFL Trade Radio.

Geelong

“Geelong is the club he’d prefer to get to. They’ve only got Pick 14 as a strong pick in this year’s draft.

“A board meeting, which is yet to happen, will determine the approach for Blakey.

“A lack of draft capital is an issue, and the Swans’ preference is anyone but the Cats.

“It’s far from certain he’s going to be at Geelong next year. There’s a lot of hoops that have to be jumped through.

“The biggest one is will Geelong’s board allow a player to come in who is under investigation for sexual assault from the police?

“It’s a difficult, nuanced, delicate scenario.”

St Kilda

“St Kilda is probably down the bottom of his preference list.

“We reported on Agenda Setters on September 9 that St Kilda had asked the question. That question still remains.

“I think Blakey’s head needs to be turned to join the Saints. But maybe in a break glass situation late in the trade period when they’re the only club still standing and their board says yes, St Kilda becomes a realistic option.

“I’m just not sure if the interest is reciprocal.”

Gold Coast

“I know he’s open to the Gold Coast Suns and moving to Queensland.

“The issue there is I don’t think the Suns are keen on him for a couple of reasons. The Ben King compo, which will be Pick 7, they don’t want to use on Blakey as they think it’s too much.

“Then you ask Gold Coast why wouldn’t they split that for two picks in the teens? They don’t want to split that pick either. They don’t want two new players coming in.

“They don’t want to pay the money. They have done a bit of work on Blakey and they don’t necessarily think he fits them at the moment.

“The Suns aren’t as keen on Blakey as Blakey is on the Suns.”

Additionally, Cal Twomey reported on Thursday morning that Suns coach Damien Hardwick flew to Melbourne overnight to meet with Blakey.

Essendon

“There is the obvious connection with former Swans coach John Longmire and the Bombers' new senior coach Mark McVeigh, who was assistant at the Swans.

“Of any of these rival clubs, no one will have a greater lens on Nick Blakey than Longmire and McVeigh.

“Essendon’s biggest benefit is they have the cash. They can pay Blakey pretty much whatever he wants and the picks.”

North Melbourne

“The other club is North Melbourne who he has a family connection with through his dad John who is a great of the club.

“I think Blakey is open to North Melbourne. Not as open as he is Geelong, but I do think there is a warmness towards the Kangaroos.

“Brady Rawlings further enhanced the possibility that Blakey could be playing for North next year when he said, ‘We hope we’d be an option for him if he decided he really wanted a trade. The big thing in this is Sydney and what they’re prepared to do if a request comes. But that hasn’t been the case at this stage. If a trade request comes then no doubt we’ll be trying to get involved’.”

Outcome

“He will leave if a club board is prepared to take on the potential legal risk. Sydney will demand a reasonable price, but it will be far less than his playing CV would ordinarily suggest,” Morris concluded.