North Melbourne offers revised contract to keep Shaun Higgins
Shaun Higgins is weighing up a revised offer that will keep him at North Melbourne until the end of his career as the Kangaroos attempt to ward off rival interest in the silky-skilled midfielder.
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North Melbourne has moved to lock away star midfielder Shaun Higgins, offering him a one-year extension that will likely see him finish his career at Arden St.
Higgins, who turns 32 next March, is already contracted to the Kangaroos for 2020, but was seeking more security given his outstanding form with the club in recent seasons.
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The dual North Melbourne club champion has attracted strong interest from a number of rival AFL clubs in recent months, including Geelong, who seems likely to lose Tim Kelly next year.
But the Kangaroos’ decision to come to the party with a revised offer in recent days has tipped the scales heavily back in Higgins’s court, meaning he is almost certain to stay.
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That would slam the door shut on the interest from the Cats and other clubs.
Higgins loves playing at Arden St and the new deal would reward his impact as a leader on and off the field
He has been an exceptional pick-up for North Melbourne since crossing to the club from the Western Bulldogs.
Higgins has won two Syd Barker Medals in 2017 and 2018, and would have been a massive contender again this year but for an ill-timed injury that kept him to 17 games.
If he locks into the revised extra year — which seems certain given it was the only sticking point — it will mean he could end up playing more games for the Kangaroos than with the Bulldogs.
He has played 220 AFL games, with 91 coming with North Melbourne.
It would be a huge relief for Kangaroos fans to lock in such a key plank of the club’s midfield heading into Rhyce Shaw’s first full season as coach.
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