Kangaroos new footy boss Brady Rawlings says the club will use ‘all avenues to get better’
He was a North Melbourne favourite across 245 tough as nails games with the Roos and now Brady Rawlings is back at Arden St with grand designs on the Roos’ next premiership, including an an aggressive 2020 free agency raid.
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North Melbourne won’t shy away from chasing big free agency targets next year, according to new general manager of football Brady Rawlings.
While Rawlings is confident the playing list he has inherited at Arden St is capable of attaining success in the future, he pledged the club will use “all avenues to get better”.
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“We went to the draft this year with some youngsters coming in, we got a free agent in Josh Walker to stabilise down back, and going forward we will look at every avenue (to get better),” Rawlings said.
“We will be looking in the free agency space and we will be looking in the draft space.
“I think you need a good combination of everything.”
Rawlings started in the role on December 1, having accepted the job in June. Under contract to West Coast, he was unable to officially start it until after the trade and draft period concluded.
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“We obviously want to get better over time,” he said.
“We want to increase the talent on our list, but we got plenty of belief in the group we have currently got and the coaching staff we have got.”
“Our older group are some of the elite in the competition … we were able to retain a few of our guys who we wanted to retain.
“That's a great sign of the belief in our club going forward.
“The young talent coming through is really exciting. We have been able to get plenty of games into them.
“I think they are one of the better groups of young players in the competition.”
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Rawlings, who couldn't be happier to be back at the club he loves, says the tireless work of senior coach Rhyce Shaw since he took over would be something that will attract more players to the club in the future.
“The coach in the second half of the year made some really strong gains (in the way they want to play) and we think we can go to another level,” he said.
“If we can get that side of things sorted and be more successful as a club, we will become more attractive.
“We think we have got plenty of offer … with our culture, with our facility.”
