North Melbourne considering free agency offer for GWS superstar Josh Kelly

The Roos have missed out on a number of big fish targets including Dustin Martin, Adam Treloar and Andrew Gaff. But will they have another go at a star Giant?

North Melbourne faces one of the most interesting calls of this year’s free agency market when it weighs up whether to renew its significant interest in GWS Giants’ superstar Josh Kelly.

Three years ago the slick onballer was the target of one of the richest deals in recent history when Kelly turned down a whopping nine-year $9 million mega offer from the Roos.

Kelly admitted afterwards “no doubt early on” he was leaning towards accepting the blockbuster offer to join North, where his father Phil played 61 games from 1981-85.

But the Roos may take a different position on the jet midfielder this time depending on the early signs of progress from their young team and indications from Kelly about his interest in returning home to Victoria after eight years in western Sydney.

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Behind superstar ballwinners Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli, Kelly is again one of this year’s top free agency targets with GWS desperate to retain the dazzling midfielder after another wave of departures including Jeremy Cameron (Geelong), Aidan Corr (North Melbourne), Jye Caldwell (Essendon), Zac Williams (Carlton) and Jackson Hately (Adelaide) last year.

Kelly, who averaged 22 disposals a game last year to finish equal fourth in the Giants’ best and-fairest, already has a lucrative long-term contract in place at GWS if he chooses to activate it.

Asked on Fox Footy last year whether he would stay at GWS beyond 2021, a coy Kelly said: “I’m happy at the Giants. I truly believe success is around the corner and we’ve just got to keep working towards that.”

North clearly has the salary cap space to target Kelly and could make an attractive offer in the vicinity of $1 million a season to help spearhead its rebuild under new coach David Noble.

Josh Kelly will be a hot free agency target in 2021.

But that ship may have sailed as the Roos have signalled their desire to go in a different list direction after missing out on a string of big fish midfield targets including Dustin Martin (Richmond), Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs), Andrew Gaff (West Coast) and Isaac Heeney (Sydney Swans).

The Roos last year purged 15 players from their list after finishing second-last on the ladder despite boasting the most 26-29-year-olds in the competition.

Kelly turns 26 in February and would expect to be heavily tagged throughout the prime years of his career if he made a move to North Melbourne.

North poached Giants’ defender Corr, 26, at the same age last year to strengthen the back line and potentially release Josh Walker to flip more forward in a goalkicking role.

The other major consideration for Kelly is the premiership windows at GWS and North Melbourne, with the young Roos likely to be a couple of years away from re-entering the finals mix.

The Kangaroos have played a strong hand at the past four drafts, taking top-10 talents Luke Davies-Uniacke (pick 4), Tarryn Thomas (8) and Will Phillips (3), but are favourite to win this year’s wooden spoon with TAB.

The Giants will be gunning for a top-four position after bombing out last year and missing finals, prompting debate about whether the GWS flag window may have closed.

Carlton is another candidate for the restricted free agent but is believed to have strong interest in Essendon free agent Zach Merrett along with Collingwood, which dramatically cleared salary cap space last year.