Analysis: Why Luke Davies-Uniacke’s signing is a big win for North Melbourne and another miss for St Kilda

When North Melbourne’s players erupted in the Barossa on Friday, St Kilda’s recruiting war room slumped. A big tick for the Roos list team is another cross for the Saints. So, where to now?

When North Melbourne’s players erupted in a nondescript shed in the Barossa, St Kilda’s recruiting war room slumped.

Luke Davies-Uniacke’s plan to re-sign with the Roos was becoming more and more of a reality in the football world in recent weeks and the Saints knew heading into this week their hopes of luring the playmaker south of the Yarra River was all-but dead.

But the body blow would have still stung on Friday, when Davies-Uniacke’s monster seven-year extension was announced to the Roos minutes before the captain’s run at Barossa Park.

Goalkicking vice-captain Nick Larkey labelled it the “best news all year”.

The 25-year-old signed likely the richest deal in North Melbourne history, expected to earn him more than $9m over his tenure until the end of 2032, on Thursday.

Luke Davies-Uniacke loves the Roos. Picture: Michael Klein

At Arden St he joined a club that includes Cam Zurhaar, Larkey, Tristan Xerri, Jy Simpkin (signed at the club until the end of 2029) and Harry Sheezel (2030) in seeing the long-term vision of the club and locking down until the end of this stretched-out rebuild.

And at Moorabbin he joined a club that includes Jordan De Goey, Hugh McCluggage, Zach Merrett, Jacob Weitering and Andrew Brayshaw, as names crossed off on a whiteboard as star recruiting targets.

Carlton ruck Tom De Koning’s name was crossed off in 2023 and has been rewritten and sits as a question mark in the Saints star search.

By all reports, St Kilda didn’t go overboard and beyond North Melbourne’s big money offer for Davies-Uniacke, but the best-and-fairest liked what he has seen internally at the Roos better than the enticement of a switch.

Tom De Koning remains unsigned. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

The round 2 smashing of Melbourne swung Davies-Uniacke strongly towards staying put.

That’s a big tick for list boss Brady Rawlings and his team, and in an unusual public move, Rawlings even acknowledged the LDU suitors in a club statement.

“His long-term commitment despite significant interest from other clubs is also a fantastic show of confidence in our program and the future of our club,” he said.

"We never had any doubt ... you're North Melbourne through and through."

Our newly-signed No.9 knows how to keep a secret 🤫#Kangaspic.twitter.com/bkUsHahmRl

— North Melbourne FC (@NMFCOfficial) April 11, 2025

So far, in the Alastair Clarkson era, the Roos haven’t lost many.

Both Zurhaar and Davies-Uniacke sat on juicy offers from the club in the past 12 months to see on-field improvement and despite having won just seven of 40 games under Clarkson, the internal message being sold did the job.

The explosive Davies-Uniacke signed his deal knowing he will be a big fish in a pond that may be filled with barramundi in coming years and he could dominate with midfield guns like Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Colby McKercher, Tom Powell and Finn O’Sullivan for the next seven years.

At St Kilda, he wouldn’t have had that same onball brigade.

On the upswing after three wins in a row, the Saints have plenty going right and plenty of bright talent, but they are still missing a star midfield bull.

Davies-Uniacke didn’t take the bait and their fishing line remains in the stream.

Originally published as Analysis: Why Luke Davies-Uniacke’s signing is a big win for North Melbourne and another miss for St Kilda