AFL 2024: Kangaroos will do ‘everything’ to keep Luke Davies-Uniacke

Alastair Clarkson says it will be on North Melbourne to convince its free agents of future success after another star delayed contract talks.

North Melbourne duo Luke Davies-Uniacke (left) and Cam Zurhaar have both parked contract talks with the Kangaroos. Picture: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Alastair Clarkson says the allure of success at a “big club” and not money will be what North Melbourne duo Luke Davies-Uniacke and Cam Zurhaar are weighing up.

The Kangaroos coach said the club would do “everything we can” to keep the explosive talents after Davies-Uniacke reportedly followed Zurhaar by putting contract talks on hold.

The 24-year-old midfielder will be a restricted free agent next year, while Zurhaar, 25, can explore free agency at the end of this season.

Clarkson urged North Melbourne players, staff and supporters to “stay the course” following another dismal start to the season as he said “uncontrollables”, including the departure of free agent Ben McKay and Tarryn Thomas’ sacking, had stopped the Roos picking themselves up from the foot of the ladder.

“Stay the course and don’t lose belief, particularly the playing group but right through the club,” Clarkson said on Wednesday.

“What we can’t allow is that pressure from outside to influence what’s going on inside the club.

Alastair Clarkson has urged the Kangaroos to ‘stay the course’ as star on-baller Luke Davies-Uniacke reportedly put contract talks on hold. The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent next season. Picture: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

“We’ve had some hardship that we’ve had to deal with over the last few months … they’re just circumstances that just happen in footy unfortunately, and it just compounds it at the present time when you’re trying to climb yourself off the canvas.”

Pointing to McKay’s move to Essendon, which has begun with a bright 4-2 start to the season, Clarkson said success rather than money was fuelling free agents’ decisions to leave.

“There's so much money in the game right now that they’re not going anywhere for money, free agents are going for where they can get some success,” he said.

“Forever and a day, since free agency’s been in, I’d say the vast majority have been attracted to the big type of clubs.

“We need to work our way through that – we’ve got Cam Zurhaar out this year in terms of free agency, we’ve got LDU out at the end of next year.

“We’ll be doing everything we can, just like we did with Ben (McKay), to try to get them to stay, but if they choose to go, that’s the (AFLPA) brief, that they’re given that liberty to explore another club and the opportunity after their seventh or eighth season.”

Reigning Rising Star winner Harry Sheezel again spent a long period taking set shots at Arden Street as a shift up the ground looms in the next few weeks. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

Clarkson said gun midfielder George Wardlaw, who was rested against Hawthorn, was “in the mix” to return as the Kangaroos revisit the scene of their most recent win in Hobart against Adelaide on Saturday.

He said he was still unsure whether Harry Sheezel would be moved from halfback against the Crows, with Miller Bergman and untried 2022 draft pick Brayden George both possible options to fill a defensive role.

“Sheezel playing back for us has been actually one part of the ground that we can say ‘that’s safely working OK for us’ … we’ll just work out what time it is,” Clarkson said.

“We knew that probably at the time we moved him to halfback that was just going to be an introduction to AFL footy for him … but he’s done it so well that it was nice and safe to say he’s nice and consolidated in that spot.

“At some point in time, we’re going to move him – is that this week? I don’t know, might be at some stage in the game, but at some stage in the future I’m sure he’s going to move into either a midfield or forward role.”