Still yet to debut for North Melbourne’s AFL side, draft selections Eddie Ford, Phoenix Spicer and Patrick Walker have been working hard behind the scenes to put themselves in a position to make the step up to AFL level. 

While the Roos have provided opportunities to several youngsters, there's simply no rush to get players in, according to Head of Development Gavin Brown.

Every player will need to prove they can perform consistently at VFL level before making the leap. 

After travelling to Perth as an emergency for last weekend’s clash with Fremantle, it would seem like North’s number 56 selection, Eddie Ford, is the closest of the three to debuting.

A number of impressive performances at VFL level have put Ford firmly in the frame for selection.

“He’s very, very close at the moment … some of his footy at VFL level has been really impressive in terms of his natural footballing ability, but it comes down to the balance of the side,” Brown told North Media.

“He’s got a bit of work to do on structures and patterns, but it’s early days with him and he’s improving all the time. His raw football talent is impressive.

“You can do as much as you like at training, but the real test is implementing those learnings in a game situation. He’s just got to keep playing games of footy because he’s getting better with each game he plays.

“That’s the type of improvement we need and he’s certainly heading in the right direction.”

Phoenix Spicer lit up the highlight reels during pre-season, with his speed and x-factor causing many to call for his inclusion in the AFL side.

After an impressive quarter of senior action against Hawthorn in a competitive pre-season clash, some of those calls got louder, but Brown says the club is taking a more patient approach with Spicer, who suffered a hamstring injury in the VFL on the weekend.

“He’s come in having played a lot of football on the wing, and we’re now playing him as a small=forward type player. He’s had a really big learning curve since he’s come in,” he said.

“That quarter against Hawthorn showed some real promise he could play at that level, but it’s clearly one thing to do it for a quarter and another to do it for a whole game, but he certainly has the attributes to play at AFL level.

“That’s where we’re at with Phoenix at the moment, just teaching him how to play that small forward role, which is one of the trickiest on the ground … after he comes back we want him to have a really good block of footy before he puts his hand up for senior selection.

“He’s made really good inroads in his professionalism, preparation, nutrition and protocols around recovery. It’s a massive jump for all these young guys … he’s heading in the right direction.”

North’s final selection of the draft was Patrick Walker, with the Tasmanian-native being selected with the second pick of the rookie draft.

Capable of playing either half back or on the wing, much has been said about Walker’s high standard of kicking and decision making.

“He’s a beautiful kick and decision-maker, but he’s also a beautiful runner. He’s got a great running gait and a massive tank, and he’s a good size for AFL football,” he said.

“Once they’re in with us it doesn’t matter if they’re a rookie or a first round pick, they’re all equal. Some of the later picks can come in and really surprise you.

“It would be nice for him to keep progressing and developing in the VFL like he has been doing, and put a nice body of form together to be able to put his hand up for some sort of senior selection in the second half of the year.

“Although he hasn’t played the last two weeks due to injury … there’s no reason why he couldn’t do that, but it’s not a race and we’re in no rush.”