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North Melbourne will be armed with three extra end-of-first-round picks across the next two drafts as part of an AFL assistance package designed to help the Roos escape the bottom two.<\/p>\n
The AFL Commission gave the green light to the suite of selections on Monday, on top of granting North the ability to have two additional rookie list spots again next year.<\/p>\n
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North Melbourne have received special assistance from the AFL.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n The league has consistently stated it wants to avoid compromising the draft further, which may have played a role in the Roos\u2019 assistance picks not being higher. The Kangaroos have won only 10 of their past 82 games across a four-year period, during which they never finished higher than second-last.<\/p>\n It is a significant step up from last year, when the league handed them two future draft picks \u2013 neither in the first round \u2013 that had to be used to trade for at least one player, and ended up delivering Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker from Fremantle.<\/p>\n North Melbourne explored options throughout the year to gain access to Tasmanian hotshot draft prospect Ryley Sanders, this year\u2019s Larke medallist as the best player in the under-18 championships, but rival clubs railed against the idea.<\/p>\n Sanders, who is certain to be snapped up in the top 10, has Indigenous heritage and was finally approved last week as a Next Generation Academy prospect after an extended process and complications with his certification.<\/p>\n Under league rules, clubs can match an opposition bid on an NGA player only if it comes after the first 40 picks, so the Roos will have to draft him with one of their own selections.<\/p>\n They will have to wait until free agency opens late next week to find out the compensation they will receive for restricted free agent Ben McKay, who wants to join Essendon.<\/p>\n North have the right to match the Bombers\u2019 six-year offer, which is expected to be worth between $700,000-$750,000 per season. It is unclear whether that will be enough to trigger first-round compensation, which would be the third pick for the Kangaroos.<\/p>\n AFL chief executive-elect Andrew Dillon said North Melbourne\u2019s two-year support package would help make the club competitive on-field again.<\/p>\n \u201cNorth Melbourne has faced considerable challenges in recent years, having not finished higher than 17th on the AFL ladder in the four seasons since 2020,\u201d Dillon said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe club presented to the AFL on how assistance can help the club potentially improve its on-field performance … [and] ensuring North Melbourne is competitive on the field and can build strength across its organisation, in the short term and in a sustainable way, is important for both the club and the broader competition.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder the leadership of president Sonja Hood, CEO Jennifer Watt and the club\u2019s board, the AFL is confident that North Melbourne is heading in the right direction.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter assessing the club\u2019s position, the special assistance package can help the club deliver on its strategy for overall improvement in its football program and give greater confidence to staff, players and supporters.\u201d<\/p>\n The commission reserves the right to review any special assistance picks if the Kangaroos improve markedly next season.<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n
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