Ralph: Amid chaos at North Melbourne, Nick Larkey can be a beacon of hope

It’s been dark times at North Melbourne both on and off the field in recent years, but a locked-down goalkicking machine could be the one to lead them into the light, writes JON RALPH.

HOBART, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 26: Nick Larkey of the Kangaroos celebrates a goal during the round 24 AFL match between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Gold Coast Suns at Blundstone Arena, on August 26, 2023, in Hobart, Australia. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Nick Larkey is the hero North Melbourne needs right now.

Fresh from a five goal haul against premiers Collingwood in last week’s pre-season tune-up, he could be hawking his services to rivals as footy’s biggest free agent of 2024.

Instead, after sacrificing his free agency rights last June to sign a new five-season deal, his loyalty still has rival list managers shaking their heads in amazement.

Sydney and Essendon went extremely hard at the North Melbourne full forward, with Sydney several times raising their offer significantly as they sought a Lance Franklin replacement.

Western Bulldogs defender Aaron Naughton got a 10-year offer from the Swans too, which helped leverage his own eight-year Dogs extension.

Larkey was firing early in the pre-season. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

But Larkey could have backed up the truck and escaped Victoria’s worst-performing side.

In 2019 Larkey played 17 games and the Roos won nine of them.

But in total he has a meagre 20 total career wins in 94 games – and just 11 in his last 63 games.

And yet the Swans never even got a meeting with Larkey.

As he told the Herald Sun’s Glenn McFarlane last year, he did his list analysis in meetings with Roos officials Todd Viney and Brady Rawlings as he sought detail on their vision for the future.

But as he dealt exclusively with the Roos, he also believed in repaying the faith of a club that chose him when every other team overlooked him as the No. 73 pick in the 2016 national draft.

Like Patrick Cripps at Carlton, subject to so many rival offers he has rebuffed, he saw the virtue in doing the hard yards to find on field success at a single club rather than jumping ship to an immediate contender.

For his reward, a player who kicked an outstanding 71.24 last year is being paid very well by North Melbourne.

This year given the Roos huge cap space he is likely to earn well in excess of his annual seven-figure salary in a front-ended arrangement similar to Ben McKay’s deal at the Roos.

But the Roos will hope the loyalty of Larkey and Jy Simpkin (also signed last year to 2029 in a commendable move) is contagious as they bank cap space for their young stars.

Larkey has continued to dominate even despite the Roos’ struggles. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma can sign extensions past 2026 from round 6 onwards, while Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw last year extended to 2026 but will one day sign massive long-term deals.

In a week where the Roos sacked No. 8 draft pick Tarryn Thomas, their spectacular success with such a late pick in Larkey is another reminder they cannot survive on high-end picks alone.

Larkey’s best mate Zurhaar is a rookie success (and will hopefully recommit this year), while ruckman Tristan Xerri is a pick 72 and father-son pick Bailey Scott was taken at pick 49.

At a club where free agency acquisitions and big trades have been in short supply, those mid-season, summer rookie and late-draft successes are even more vital than at rival clubs.

Thanks to Larkey and Simpkin’s early commitment North Melbourne has 20 players out of contract but only Zurhaar as an early-season priority signing.

It has an administration and football department finally freed from distraction over Thomas’ ongoing sagas for the first time in what seems like forever.

And it has footy’s most innovative 21st-century coach in Alastair Clarkson with the Hawthorn controversy mostly behind him and keen to play a hard-charging “Northball” brand.

As a new season approaches it feels like the fog over Arden Street is finally lifting.

It is fitting that the recipient of that on field improvement – and express-paced ball movement – could be full forward Larkey after his own loyalty when so many clubs came so hard at him.

Originally published as Ralph: Amid chaos at North Melbourne, Nick Larkey can be a beacon of hope