DISAPPOINTED to miss out on selection in last month's NAB AFL Draft, new North Melbourne recruit Majak Daw was never confident of getting his opportunity in Tuesday's rookie pool.

If only he had known that, for his new club, the decision was made even before he joined them for training last week.

The 18-year-old spent two days at North following a stint at the AIS-AFL Academy with high performance coach Jason McCartney and assistants Matthew Lloyd, Tom Harley and Michael O'Loughlin.

And the Kangaroos are making no secret  that Daw is the perfect fit for them.

As a key position prospect, he has the raw athleticism, power and enthusiasm that will be nurtured by the club's new facilities and three full-time development staff.

But as the competition's first Sudanese-born player, he becomes a beacon for North's sizeable investment in the community.

"This is a real club decision," senior assistant coach Darren Crocker said from Arden Street.

"We were really keen to get Majak through the door, firstly because of the potential he shows as a future AFL player.

"Also, it's great for the Sudanese community and for our new facility with our learning and life centre coming on and being a big part of our future.

"Majak would be the first to admit that he's got certain areas of his game that he has to really work hard on, but we'll really back our development program in to have him fulfil his potential and play senior football for North Melbourne."

When he learned he had been picked by North, Daw said his first reaction was to scream, and he was similarly overwhelmed when captain Brent Harvey arrived at his home on Tuesday morning.

He added he was aware of the pressure that would come with his place on an AFL list and that, at this point, his energy would go towards the long-term goal of him making his senior debut.

It was only last year that he considered his football direction and felt his early success could now inspire other Sudanese people who, like his family, fled civil war in search of a better life in Australia.

"They're very proud of me to be the first Sudanese," Daw said. "A lot of them are migrants, refugees, come from a war-torn country and don't expect this to happen.

"When something like this happens it really means a lot to them. It gives them a lot more confidence to sort of go out and be more involved in the community."

North's talent ID manager Bryce Lewis was one of many keen observers who witnessed Daw's compelling 12-month development; from a player trying to force his way into a TAC Cup side, to one who grew in self-belief with more game time and a five-goal performance against the Murray Bushrangers.

Lewis, who credits Jets coach Steve Kretiuk and his staff for the youngster's turnaround, reiterated that his club would not have recruited Daw if it felt he didn't have the potential to play at the highest level.

"He certainly has some rare attributes and is of outstanding character," he said.

Similar endorsement has come from AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan, who watched Daw the week after he played the Bushrangers in a VFL curtain-raiser against the Geelong Falcons.

Earlier in the season, Sheehan had felt Daw wasn't doing enough in a struggling side and said that although he didn't dominate against Geelong, took a mark that was as courageous as it was spectacular and also kicked the afternoon's best goal.

"Some of the things he did were quite special," he said."When he gathered this ball at ground level ... for a boy so tall at 194cm, he's picked it up off his toes at speed, caressed it in and then took off with three Falcons chasing him.

"He just burnt them off, took a bounce and [kicked] it from about 50 on the run.

"There were probably nearly 1000 people there [and] you could see Sudanese people in the crowd. The crowd's erupted when he's kicked this goal and you could see that they were there to watch him.

"I think he's got the scope to really develop into a very powerful athlete in a professional environment."