After taking Jacob Edwards and Charlie Ham in the mid-season draft, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding North Melbourne and just how high the club’s new pair can fly, and arguably none are more excited than senior assistant coach John Blakey.

A smart footballer with a raking left book, Ham’s physical and mental attributes tick a lot of the boxes for how North is trying to play in 2021.

“He’s (Ham’s) got beautiful skills and really catches your eye with the way he’s able to break the game open with that left foot of his,” Blakey said during the latest Member Q&A, presented by AIA.

“[We’re] very excited to have him. He’ll be terrific to help us exit that ball out of defence. He’s able to take a good interest mark as well.

“The beauty of him [is] he really knows how to find the footy and use the footy. He sees options that others don’t.

“We’re excited to get someone with that ability to kick the ball and find those hard to see options in our side.”

Coming into a side full of unfamiliar faces, a brand new professional environment and, in Ham’s case, a new city always has its challenges – especially when arriving in mid-season.

Still just 18 years old, Blakey says Ham will have every opportunity to push his case for senior selection.

“It’s going to be different for him coming in halfway through the season, getting to know all the boys and getting to know the new game plan,” he said.

“It’s going to be hard for [him] to initially get in and understand exactly how we want to play … [but] that’s our job, we’ve got to get [him] up to speed as quickly as possible.

“Nothing’s out of the question. As you’ve seen this year a lot of the boys have had opportunities and chances and it’ll be no different to the two boys we’ve just drafted.”

To hear Blakey talk about his return to North, his successes as a coach and the form of his defensive line, check out the full Member Q&A below.