North Melbourne list decisions will wait until new coach is appointed

Wayne Carey says every North Melbourne player should be put on the trade table as the Kangaroos work out which direction to take their list.

The Kangaroos have been urged to consider trading some of their senior players, which includes Ben Cunnington. Picture: Getty Images

The futures of North Melbourne’s biggest stars may not be known for months as the Roos undertake a full review of their football department.

Big decisions on whether to trade some senior players will be put off until after the club has appointed a new coach and conducted a full analysis of the list.

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The Roos will seek the input of the new coach on the list and potential trade or free agency targets before they launch into the next phase of their rebuild.

It means players including Shaun Higgins, spearhead Ben Brown, Ben Cunnington and free agent Todd Goldstein will be left in limbo as the Roos decide on their next step.

Talented youngsters Jy Simpkin and Taylor Garner could also be discussed.

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North Melbourne legend Wayne Carey said every player was up for grabs at season’s end.

“I don’t think there’s anyone that’s untouchable,” Carey said.

Departed coach Brad Scott said the Roos needed some clear air to move into a new direction after missing out on some of their priority recruiting targets including Andrew Gaff and Dustin Martin in recent years.

The Roos started the season with the seventh-oldest list in the competition.

Shaun Higgins is one of several North players who won’t know their fate until the club appoints a new coach. Picture: Michael Klein

National recruiting manager Mark Finnigan said he was unsure what direction the club would go with its list.

“That is something that is still being worked through, so there is no definitive answer on that as yet,” Finnigan said.

“There are things we are currently working through and until we know which direction that is, I can’t really shed any light on that at the moment.

The top-two players in this year’s draft, Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson, are considered standouts.

Asked if the Roos would have a renewed focus on the draft this year, Finnigan said: “We’ve always been keen to have a focus on the draft, but it’s something we just don’t know until trade and draft time to see what’s available.”

The Roos are in 14th spot, two games outside the eight, with three wins from 10 games.