AFL free agents: Jon Ralph on why North Melbourne must match any offer to Cam Zurhaar

It would be easy for North Melbourne to let Cam Zurhaar walk if he opts to enter free agency. But as JON RALPH writes, that’s a scenario which could cost the Roos dearly.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 04: Cameron Zurhaar of the Kangaroos celebrates a goal during the round eight AFL match between St Kilda Saints and North Melbourne Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium, on May 04, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Matthew Nicks and Alastair Clarkson might as well have held farewell parties for their departing free agents last year, such was the reward on offer for their AFL clubs.

It was the last season of the collective bargaining agreement, and rich rewards were on offer for deals that didn’t even hit $800,000 a season.

Ben McKay garnered North Melbourne pick No. 4 (Zane Duursma), while the Adelaide received a surprise end-of-first-round compensation pick when a bidding war erupted for Tom Doedee.

The Crows had withdrawn a mid-season deal for Doedee anyway and replaced it with a meagre offer. But even amid their ecstatic reaction to that end-of-first-rounder, the effect of father-son and Next Generation Academy bids had a diluting effect on the Doedee pick.

By the time they used it at the draft, it had fallen all the way to pick 27 after clubs matched bids on Jed Walter, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers, Jordan Croft, Will McCabe, Caiden Cleary and Will Graham.

It is a history lesson that Clarkson should be very aware of as Cam Zurhaar’s free agency situation drifts on well into the season.

With a new pay deal in place, Zurhaar would need to command a salary of more than $900,000 to secure first-round compensation if he left for greener pastures – and the promise of finals success elsewhere.

Cam Zurhaar is still weighing up his future at North Melbourne. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

So instead of a victory party if he left, the Roos would be left holding a late-20s pick in a draft where clubs will again match bids on Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall (Brisbane), Leo Lombard (Gold Coast), Ben Camporeale (Carlton) and potentially Tyler Welsh (Adelaide).

Clarkson should be prepared to be a hard-arse and match any free agency bid for 26-year-old forward Zurhaar, who should be reaching his football peak.

It’s not that he’s irreplaceable, it’s that losing another quality player for a late-20s pick just doesn’t help the Kangaroos in any way. Not when 2020 No. 3 draftee Will Phillips will ask for a trade and former top-10 pick Tarryn Thomas is already off the playing list.

The Roos would consider that matching scenario, but even if they don’t eventually match a bid they need to scare rivals into the type of offers that might potentially hit that first-round trigger.

The Roos risk losing Zurhaar for a second-round compensation pick. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

As Clarkson said on Wednesday, his club needs to bring in 26-to-29-year-olds, not lose more.

“We have the youngest list in the competition, but the bracket of 26-29 is pretty skinny,” he said.

“We are going to go to the draft. Unfortunately, where we are positioned as a club, free agency doesn’t work for teams in the bottom 10.

“We can’t secure talent that way, it’s difficult for us to secure talent by trading because you are competing against Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon – the big clubs.

“We can only attract talent from other clubs where lads might not be getting an opportunity or some older guys in the twilight of their careers who are at the tipping point of whether they stay in their side or not, but could be really valuable players for us for three or four years in the twilight of their careers.”

Clubs don’t match free-agency bids – they move on players who don’t really want to be at their clubs. But a club that admits it can’t lure free agents and can’t get trades done without giving up long-term deals to the likes of Zac Fisher needs to play hardball at some stage.

In an ideal world, the Roos surge home and Zurhaar stays. But they cannot gift him his exit to a rival while copping a mediocre pick if they want to eventually rise up the ladder.

Matching a bid – or the threat of it to leverage first-round compensation – has to be a weapon in their list management arsenal.