North Melbourne has a war chest to make play for big-name free agents at the end of 2017
NORTH Melbourne was expected to start rebuilding, but with a war chest at the ready the Kangas could target the likes of Dustin Martin, Nat Fyfe or another big name free agent.
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NORTH Melbourne is prepared to unlock a million-dollar war chest that could target the likes of Dustin Martin, Nat Fyfe or another big name free agent at season’s end.
As the Kangaroos gear up for the next chapter in their evolution against West Coast on Sunday, unveiling six new players, it has emerged the club has significant room in its salary cap to chase a massive target.
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The decision to not renew the contracts of Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Nick Dal Santo last August has partly made this possible.
The Roos made an unsuccessful multi-million pitch for Sydney young gun Issac Heeney last year and the club is certain to look at other options at the end of this season.
Options include free agent Martin, who dominated for Richmond in Thursday’s season opener but wants more than the $800,000 the Tigers are currently prepared to pay him, and Fyfe, who is yet to commit to Fremantle, but will be hard to prise out of Perth.
Coach Brad Scott said this week that the club was prepared to be “aggressive” in improving its playing list for the future, but was loath to discuss specific targets.
“I think we are really well positioned,” Scott said of North Melbourne’s philosophy. “(Last year) we were really aggressive in making sure we explored every option, when we made a clear decision on the direction we were going.
“This year, we will (again) explore every single option, whether it is drafting, trading or free agency, and then we will sit down and see how it ties in with our stage of development.”
“There will come a point in time when people sort of think ‘OK, I have a better understanding of what North Melbourne are doing’, and we get that opportunity in 2017. Should we stagger things out, or (do we say) ‘no, we want to give these exciting youngsters an opportunity’ ... and then we will be in a great position going forward.”
On Thursday the Herald Sun revealed the latest list of 2017 free agents, headlined by Martin, Fyfe, Brisbane’s Tom Rockliff and Geelong’s Steven Motlop, with Hawthorn closing the door on Luke Breust this week after locking him to a four-year deal.
The Kangaroos take on one of their favourite sons, Drew Petrie, in his first game for the Eagles, with Scott wishing the big man every success, other than in this particular match.
“I would love to build up a bit of a spiteful clash, but I can’t,” Scott said. “Personally, I love Drewie, he is a terrific guy.”
“We hope Drew has 21 really good home-and-away game in 2017 (other than Round 1). He has been a genuine icon and champion of this footy club.”
He said the club was looking forward to seeing Jack Ziebell’s evolution as a captain; the unveiling of new Roos Nathan Hrovat, Marley Williams, Jy Simpkin, Declan Mountford, Mitch Hibberd and Brayden Preuss today; Todd Goldstein’s quest to assume the mantle as the game’s best ruckman again; and the club’s history-making game against Western Bulldogs on Good Friday.
Scott said he preferred to look to the future, and didn’t want to look back on a difficult year in 2016, which included the loss of his brother, Ben, in November, who died of anaphylactic shock due to an unusual nut allergy.
“It’s not something I am going to talk about in public,” he said. “I have worked hard over the journey to separate my public and my private life, and that certainly fits into the private life.”
Originally published as North Melbourne has a war chest to make play for big-name free agents at the end of 2017
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