The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.

North Melbourne’s backline has held up well over the last few seasons with the likes of Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito and Sam Wright getting the job done while not being particularly flashy.

While this has worked well for the Kangaroos, how does it stack up for AFL Fantasy?

The Main Man: Jamie Macmillan (DEF, $436,000)

Macmillan comes into 2016 as North Melbourne’s only defender over $400,000, having averaged 79 points in 2015.

Bearing in mind that he only played 14 games, Macmillan’s scoring was consistently strong, with only two poor scores for the season.

Macmillan averaged 85 points across the final 10 rounds of the season, including a massive 127 in Round 12.

At 24, he’s coming into his prime and might be an under-priced option for your backline in that tricky fourth defender position.

The X-Factor: Shaun Atley (DEF, $346,000)

Atley has never screamed AFL Fantasy relevance, having averaged in the 60's consistently throughout his career, but that may change this season.

The running defender is certainly capable of doing some damage with the ball and North will look to get the ball to him as much as possible. With another year under his belt, that average could leap up.

At $346,000, he won’t cost you much and that price also allows you to use money elsewhere.

Watch him closely in the NAB Challenge to see if he’s had a role change or anything that may positively impact his scoring.

X-factor players are often risky, but with two trades to make per week and the fact that he’s well under $400,000, Atley may be worth a shot.

The Comeback Kid: Aaron Mullett (DEF, $162,000)

Mullett only played four games in 2015, with the first of those being in Round 15.

His four scores were rather uninspiring with a high score of 65 and a low of eight, but some were sub-affected and he came into 2015 without a proper pre-season due to shoulder concerns.

With a pre-season under his belt and a lack of obvious backline rookies, if Mullett can get himself into the North lineup early on, he could be a smart choice to get your season underway.

Mullett averaged 74 in 2013 and while that’s not spectacular, at $162,000, that’s enough to make him a relevant cash cow and certainly worth considering if he gets into the North side.

The Best of the Rest:

Ben Jacobs (DEF/MID, $363,000)
Jacobs elevated himself to one of the best taggers in the competition last season, but has retained his defensive status in AFL Fantasy.

While he only averaged 65.6 in 2015, the fact that he played on the best players last year gives him the opportunity to branch out and become a ball-winning midfielder this year.

Jacobs has had some troubles nailing down his spot in the 22 in the past, but if he’s able to fulfil his potential, he can be a lot more than a tagger.

Lachlan Hansen (DEF, $340,000)
Hansen was forced into a more key defensive role in 2015, but if he’s given the ability to be the third tall down back, he’s an intercept marking expert and could score adequately.

Hansen averaged 61 points in 2015 from 13 games and it’s safe to assume he could push that into the 70’s with a full season under his belt.

Unfortunately, that’s probably not enough to warrant selection in your fantasy team, but he could be approaching $400,000 or so by season’s end.