Brutal North Melbourne truth laid bare as investigation reveals harsh reality for cellar dwellers
Not everyone can be Geelong – but, as a new investigation shows, one AFL club in particular is actively avoided.
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Where would an AFL young gun least like to be?
The footy world can finally answer this question, with Code Sports releasing its rankings of the league’s destination clubs for 2025.
And North Melbourne fans, it’s time to look away.
The Kangaroos, who have a list a mile long of big name trade and free agent targets they have missed out on – including Dustin Martin, Jordan De Goey, Josh Kelly, Isaac Heeney and plenty more – find themselves in last place.
“North Melbourne has had millions of space in salary cap room and has tried to spend it wisely but would acknowledge many of the big deals haven’t worked,” Code Sports’ Jon Ralph said.
“As coach Alastair Clarkson has said, it is near-on-impossible to get quality free agents through the door.”
SEE THE FULL LIST AND GET THE BREAKDOWN ON YOUR CLUB HERE
The Roos haven’t finished a season outside the bottom four since 2019. They are currently 16th on the ladder and will need to win at least two more games to break that streak this year.
But what exactly makes a destination club?
Ralph has broken it down into five key questions:
Is the club in the premiership window?
Does it have the game-style and coaching to compete with the top dogs?
Is the location a desirable place for players to want to live?
Does the club have a good culture?
What is their wildcard?
As part of Code Sports’ Deal Makers Series, Ralph has ranked all clubs 1-18 on this scale.
And the news wasn’t much better for bottom of the ladder West Coast, who have suffered a dramatic drop since winning the 2018 premiership.
The Eagles look set to lose their captain this off-season with free agent leader Oscar Allen eyeing a potential move to Brisbane.
It means West Coast is relegated to 17th on Ralph’s rankings.
Who’s No. 1?
SEE THE FULL LIST AND GET THE BREAKDOWN ON YOUR CLUB HERE
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Originally published as Brutal North Melbourne truth laid bare as investigation reveals harsh reality for cellar dwellers
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