North Melbourne lures Brady Rawlings from West Coast

The man who convinced Andrew Gaff to stay at West Coast is quitting the Eagles to join the club that tried to poach the star midfielder. Meanwhile, a Kangaroos star has re-signed.

Brady Rawlings is in North Melbourne’s sights.

North Melbourne has secured favourite son and West Coast list manager Brady Rawlings as its new footy boss.

The Kangaroos are in talks with Rawlings and the Eagles about when West Coast will release him from his contract.

It means the man who helped keep West Coast wingman Andrew Gaff in Perth at the end of last season will cross to the club that tried to poach the star midfielder.

Meanwhile, the Roos have signed midfield hard but Ben Cunnington to a contract extension until 2022.

It means Cunnington is off-limits in this year’s trade period as the Roos look to add more elite young talent in the draft.

Rawlings is contracted to West Coast for next season but will attempt to secure a quick release to help North find its next coach and begin some key list assessments.

But West Coast is yet to confirm the details of Rawlings’ exit and could play hard ball in talks with the Roos to delay his release.

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Brady Rawlings is in North Melbourne’s sights.

Coach Adam Simpson said Rawlings had done a fabulous job piecing together West Coast’s premiership squad since taking over as list boss in 2013.

It is an awkward situation for the Eagles, as they were again looking to Rawlings to lead their moves in the exchange period including a play for Geelong star midfielder Tim Kelly.

The Eagles are also in the market for Giant Stephen Coniglio.

It is the second straight year West Coast has had a key off-field figure raided by a Victorian club after Hawthorn swooped on assistant coach Sam Mitchell.

The Herald Sun yesterday revealed the Roos had made Rawlings their top target to replace departing footy boss Cameron Joyce.

The Roos are also in the hunt to poach Sydney premiership coach and former Roos’ great John Longmire to become their next coach.

They also have some other former North greats on their assistant coaching radar including Daniel Pratt, Jade Rawlings and Drew Petrie.

Rawlings played 245 games for North Melbourne and joined West Coast in 2013 as an assistant coach.

He won Syd Barker Medals in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and was lauded by his teammates and coaches for his hard-nosed determination and selflessness across his career.