AFL pre-season supplementary period: See who your club might take as an SSP pick
A former Gold Coast forward has been granted permission to train with North Melbourne’s main group as pre-season training begins.
Delisted Gold Coast utility Darcy Macpherson hopes he can convince North Melbourne to throw him an AFL lifeline after beginning pre-season training with the Kangaroos this week.
Macpherson, 27, was delisted by the Suns in September after 97 games in nine seasons but believes he still has plenty of quality football left in him despite seeing limited opportunities under Damien Hardwick this year.
Darcy MacPherson?? pic.twitter.com/IBVN0OrEsx
— Batesy (@mitch23bates) November 18, 2024
He finished third in the Suns’ best and fairest in 2019 and seventh in 2023, but featured only two times this year – both as a sub.
Collingwood and Carlton were among the VFL programs who came knocking for his services before he ultimately settled on signing with North Melbourne.
“(North) lets VFL players train a couple of times a week with the main group and I just thought, given the way I train and how I go about my business, it gives me the best chance to get back on a list,” Macpherson told this masthead.
“Melbourne is obviously my hometown and there’s a lot more eyes on me down here … and I just thought North, with where the list is at, I could definitely add something.
“They see me in that high half-forward (role) with my work rate, going into the midfield for a little bit.”
Macpherson nominated for the AFL draft this week but sees the SSP as his most likely route back onto an AFL list.
Although he and the club have not held any formal conversations around an SSP spot, it would appear North is considering the notion given the ex-Sun has been green-lit to train with the senior squad twice a week, whereas the club usually rotates its VFL players in and out.
“I think they have an SSP (Supplementary Selection Period) spot available. They haven’t promised me anything, but I’ll be working hard and seeing where that can take me,” he said.
“This year just didn’t go to plan – it didn’t reflect who I am as a player.
“The fire is still there to keep going and I still believe I’m good enough.
The 2025 SSP runs from February 3-28.
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