In line with Sir Doug Nicholls Round, North Melbourne is celebrating the significant influence Indigenous players have had on the club over the course of its existence.

From the Kangaroos' first ever senior Indigenous representative Alf Egan to the club's first ever Indigenous co-captain Jy Simpkin, Indigenous players at Arden Street have forged, and continue to create, a rich and impactful legacy.

NMFC Media has profiled some of the club's great and emerging Indigenous players below.

*Games, goals and honours cover the player's time at North Melbourne

Alf Egan

Games: 15
Goals: 7

Egan, North Melbourne's first ever Indigenous player, was a tall and adaptable ruck-forward that originally began his career at Carlton.

He played 36 matches for the Blues, including the 1932 Grand Final, before featuring in 15 games as a Shinboner.

Percy Johnson

Games: 52
Goals: 4

Percy Johnson, a stalwart of the Kangaroos sides of the early 1950s, made a name for himself as an agile yet aggressive outside player who was also more than comfortable playing as a roving midfielder.

It was in midfield where he formed strong partnerships with fellow onballers and club greats Allen Aylett, and ruck Albert Mantello.

He debuted at the age of 20 and played 52 games for the side before signing for Fitzroy.

Jim and Phil Krakouer

Jim Krakouer
Games: 134
Goals: 229
Honours: 1x Syd Barker Medallist, 3x North Melbourne leading goalkicker, Team of the Century (interchange), Indigenous Team of the Century (forward pocket)

Phil Krakouer
Games: 141
Goals: 224 
Honours: 3x North Melbourne leading goalkicker

A pair of trailblazers in our game, the Krakouers brothers were the main energisers in the struggling Kangaroos sides of the 1980s.

Hailing from Western Australia, the duo arrived at North Melbourne after a successful stint with WAFL club Claremont where they won the 1981 Grand Final.

Outside of the 1984 season, at least one of the Krakouers was the club's leading goalkicker for every season from 1983-1988 and, serendipitously, the pair split the honour in 1983 with 44 goals apiece. 

Jim was also the recipient of the 1986 Syd Barker Medal and is a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century.

Adrian McAdam

Games: 36
Goals: 92

Adrian McAdam burst onto the scene at senior level, booting 23 goals in his first three games, including seven on debut against the Tigers.

Although his AFL career went by in a flash, his debut season in 1993 will remain as one of the best of all time as he kicked a ridiculous 68 goals from just 17 appearances.

The livewire forward thrived alongside the likes of Wayne Carey and John Longmire, but only featured on the list for two more seasons after 1993, playing 18 games in 1994 before making one appearance in 1995.

Byron Pickett 

Games: 120
Goals: 81
Honours: 1x premiership player, 1x Rising Star winner, 1x All-Australian, Indigenous Team of the Century (interchange)

A tough-nut of the competition throughout his time, Byron Pickett still holds the title of North Melbourne’s only ever Rising Star winner.

Selected by the club with pick No.67 in the 1996 national draft, Pickett played one game in 1997 before bursting onto the scene in 1998 to claim the Rising Star Award.

Pickett lifted his game in 1999 as the club won its second flag in three years, and he reaped further benefits when he was selected in the All-Australian team.

Pickett left North Melbourne ahead of the 2003 season and went on to play for Port Adelaide and Melbourne.

Winston Abraham

Games: 72
Goals: 104
Honours: 1999 premiership player, 1x Goal of the Year, 1x Mark of the Year

Lightning quick and as talented as half-forwards come, Winston Abraham was one of the club's most exciting players over a successful period.

After spending three seasons with Fremantle, Abraham moved over to North Melbourne where he added 72 games, 104 goals and a 1999 premiership medallion.

His career, which also included Goal and Mark of the Year wins, came to a premature end in 2001 when he suffered a knee injury in the opening round of the 2001 season.

Daniel Wells

Games: 243
Goals: 150
Honours: 2x Syd Barker Medallist, 1x Goal of the Year

A smooth-moving midfielder-forward, injuries derailed much of Daniel Wells’ late career but he still managed to amass 243 impactful games in blue and white.

When on the park, he was one of the most exciting and watchable players in the competition, and his 2004 Goal of the Year perfectly encapsulates the magic Wells could conjure.

He won two Syd Barker Medals while he was at the height of his powers in 2011 and 2013 before switching stripes for Collingwood at the end of the 2016 season.

Lindsay Thomas

Games: 205
Goals: 325
Honours: 2x North Melbourne leading goalkicker

With his lethal left boot, Lindsay Thomas was a remarkable goalkicking talent in his time with the Kangaroos, often proving to be a difficult player for opponents to shut down.

Using his standout skills as an opportunistic small forward with a strong defensive mindset, Thomas led the club's goalkicking tally on two occasions (2010 and 2013) playing alongside tall forwards Drew Petrie and Jarrad Waite.

After a stint of over 200 games, Thomas parted ways with the Roos at the end of 2017 and later retired after a single season with his boyhood club Port Adelaide.

Jy Simpkin (2017-present)

Games: 123*
Goals: 44*
Honours: 2x Syd Barker Medallist, 1x Shinboner of the Year, North Melbourne co-captain

Since walking into to the Arden Street facilities back in late 2016 after being take with the 12th pick of the national draft, Simpkin has quickly become one of the most decorated Kangaroos to play for the club.

While a key cog in the engine room, the star midfielder's leadership has been a key factor of his overall game and prior to the 2023 season, he was named co-captain alongside Luke McDonald becoming the first Indigenous player at North Melbourne to claim the role.

Simpkin truly broke out in 2020, finishing second in the Syd Barker Medal count, before earning the coveted best and fairest award back to back in 2021 and 2022.

Despite already being a decorated Kangaroo, Simpkin has plenty of football left ahead of him being just 25 years of age.

Mia King (2020-present)

Games: 37*
Goals: 5*
Honours: 1x Best Young Player

While often touted as one of the club's leaders of the future, Mia King has become an integral part of North Melbourne's AFLW side.

Recruited from Launceston, the 22-year-old has already chalked up 37 games in blue and white and is set to add to that tally when the AFLW embarks on season 2023 later this year.

The club also wishes to acknowledge all other players of Indigenous heritage who have and continue to represent our great club with pride.

V/AFL

Alf Egan (1934-1935)
Percy Johnson (1951-1955)
Bert Johnson (1965-1968)
Barry Cable (1970, 1974-1977)
Allan Bloomfield (1970-1971)
Jim Krakouer (1982-1989)
Phil Krakouer (1982-1989)
Derek Kickett (1989)
Andrew Krakouer (1989-1990)
Adrian McAdam (1993-1995)
Warren Campbell (1994-1995)
Byron Pickett (1997-2002)
Winston Abraham (1998-2001)
Gary Dhurrkay (1999-2000)
Shannon Motlop (1999-2003)
Daniel Motlop (2001-2005)
Daniel Wells (2003-2016)
Eddie Sansbury (2004-2008)
Djaran Whyman (2007)
Matt Campbell (2007-2012)
Lindsay Thomas (2007-2017)
Cruize Garlett (2009-2012)
Paul Ahern (2018-2020)
Jed Anderson (2016-2022)
Jy Simpkin (2017-present)
Tarryn Thomas (2019-present)
Kyron Hayden (2019-2022)
Phoenix Spicer (2021-present)
Jason Horne-Francis (2022)

AFLW

Kaitlyn Ashmore (2019-2022)
Mia King (2020-present)