In a special Trade & Draft version of our Member Q&A, North Melbourne's recruiting team sat down to answer your burning questions.
You can watch the full Q&A below, with host Nigel Carmody putting your questions to head of football talent Brady Rawlings, general manager of football Todd Viney and national recruiting and retention manager Will Thursfield.
Here are three key takeaways from the Q&A, all thanks to leading specialised recruitment agency Robert Half.
1. The Kangaroos will be targeting experience at the trade table
Asked about how discussions have progressed with the club's trade targets, Rawlings said North Melbourne will be looking to add experience to the squad this off-season.
West Coast's Jack Darling nominated the Kangaroos as his preferred destination club earlier this month, and Rawlings confirmed the Roos would be working to bring the Eagles forward to Arden St.
"We clearly need to bring more experience into the group," Rawlings said.
"We've got a very young list at the moment and we just need some experience to be around our younger players for the next couple of years. We're confident with our 26-and-under group but to add some experience to those guys is going to benefit them a lot.
"Jack Darling is one we've had chats with. He's a 298-game player, premiership player, All Australian, he's an absolute pro and we need some support in our forward line.
"He can seriously run, he's strong, he brings the ball to ground, he still chases and tackles and we think he's still got the fire in the belly to help us over the next couple of years.
"We're keen to bring in potentially four (experienced players), but whether we land on two or three, time will tell."
Viney added: "Brady worked at West Coast for six years and knows Jack (Darling) pretty well, also a former Shinboner in Adam Simpson has been a coach there, so we've got good intel."
2. Trade targets understand the club's exciting future
Questioned about the challenge of selling the club's vision after a difficult season, Rawlings said prospective recruits saw huge potential in the club's exciting group of young players.
"I can understand why people might think it might be a hard sell given where we've finished on the ladder but all the players we've been speaking to of late are excited by our young talent – Harry Sheezel, Colby McKercher and George Wardlaw to name a few," he said.
"There's our playing list, stability with our medical and supporting team and we've got a great coach which is another thing that's a real selling point for our club.
"The stability of the 26-and-under group has been something we really sell to players from other clubs.
Viney said the club's talented coaching staff were another selling point.
"Clarko has a track record of not only developing players but coaches as well," he said.
"We saw Jed Adcock come runner-up in the (AFL Coaches' Association) Assistant Coach of the Year Award and we've already seen Michael Barlow win the Development Coach of the Year Award, so players can see that staff and players develop in our environment."
3. The club is open to fast-tracking the draft
Asked about whether the club would consider bringing its 2025 first-round pick into play this year, Thursfield agreed it’s a possibility.
"It's something we're really open to," he said.
"We've hit the draft hard in the past two to three years, so to fast forward that and bring a few more (draftees) in this year has some appeal - but that being said, next year looks like a strong draft, too.
"It would have to be a good deal for us, but we'd be open to it, whether that’s to get a mature player that’s been discussed … we're open to a lot of things and the draft depth comes into that."
