North Melbourne have prepared for all possible scenarios in Nick Blakey’s short-term future, after the club’s board approved an eight year, $12 million offer for him to join the Kangaroos while a police investigation continues into the Sydney Swans Pullman hotel allegations.
Blakey, who is poised to become one of the highest-paid players in the competition, on Friday nominated North Melbourne as his preferred destination.
The Kangaroos also consulted their AFLW players and kept them informed about the club’s pursuit of Blakey.
His relationship with the Swans soured while he and four other players were suspended by the club for a night of wild partying at Melbourne’s Pullman East hotel in August.
A separate Victoria Police investigation is ongoing after three women, working as exotic dancers, variously alleged they were sexually assaulted and touched inappropriately without consent.
No charges have been laid and all five Swans players who served season-ending club suspensions denied criminal wrongdoing.
One of those players, Riley Bice, is no longer subject of the investigation and is being treated as a witness. Blakey, Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and James Jordon remain persons of interest in the investigation.
North Melbourne’s board, helmed by president Sonja Hood, and the executive led by Jen Watt, have done extensive due diligence on Blakey.
The fact the board signed off on the offer indicates the club is satisfied with the circumstances surrounding his recruitment.
The Kangaroos, when contacted by this masthead, declined to comment on how it would handle the trade in light of the police investigation.
Blakey’s management was also contacted for comment.
The star defender’s management, North Melbourne and the Swans will spend the weekend attempting to thrash out the framework of a trade, which would deliver the Kangaroos a major recruiting breakthrough as they attempt to climb the ladder under new coach Jaymie Graham.
Blakey, who has five years to run on his Swans contract, met with Graham and attracted interest from several other clubs including Geelong and St Kilda.
The Kangaroos, where Blakey’s father John won two premierships, hold pick No.5 in this year’s national draft (to be No.6), a selection that looms as a significant bargaining chip in negotiations.
North are talking to three clubs; St Kilda, Carlton and Port Adelaide as they attempt to split pick five in order to get Blakey and contracted Adelaide defender Nick Murray through the door before next Wednesday’s trade deadline.
Carlton have a vested interest in moving up the draft order, given their first two picks in November’s draft (currently 13 and 18) wouldn’t be enough to match a bid for talented father-son prospect Cody Walker if his name is called at pick two.
North Melbourne have made an extraordinary financial commitment to the 26-year-old Blakey, with the proposed eight-year contract worth an average of $1.5 million per season.
The Kangaroos have spent years assembling a talented young midfield, but the opportunity to recruit a player of Blakey’s calibre and versatility represents a chance to dramatically strengthen their defensive stocks.
His combination of speed, ball use and ability to break opposition lines makes him one of the most damaging attacking defenders in the competition.
Butters becomes a $17 million Dog as AFL approves five-club mega-deal
Zak Butters became a Western Bulldog on Friday, earning a record nine-year contract worth between $17 million and $17.5 million, as the AFL approved a convoluted side deal involving five clubs and a flurry of first, second and later draft picks exchanged.
The Butters contract is the biggest in AFL history in aggregate, though less than the $2 million per season wage of St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
The key draft choices were trafficked to and from the Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and an astute third party, Melbourne.
In pure return for Butters, Port Adelaide gained pick No 5 as free agent compensation.
But the side deal saw Port gain picks 6 and 10, plus a 2027 first rounder from Melbourne, and a 2028 first rounder from the Bulldogs.
Melbourne essentially swapped their picks 6 and 10 for picks 4, 12, 31 and 46 (these will be later after free agency compensation to Gold Coast and Port). They also handed over their 2027 first round in a draft that the Tasmania Devils will plunder.
The Bulldogs gave up two first round choices, losing picks 12 and 31 and their 2028 first round. They gained Hawk Finn Maginness and Carlton follower Hudson O’Keeffe, picks 81 and 87 and a bunch of second, third and fourth round choices from 2027 and 2028
Port handed back pick 4 and all of their second, third and fourth round choices for 2027 and 2028, but they profited the most in terms of incoming first rounds.
Hawthorn landed Ben King as a free agent, after Gold Coast declined to match his deal worth slightly more than $9 million over seven years, an average of about $1.3 million per season. Gold Coast receive what will now be pick No 8 as compensation.
The Suns and Hawks, too, have nearly completed another side deal that will see key forward Aidan Schubert join the Suns, along with small forward Sam Butler – the former on a five-year deal.
The Hawthorn-Gold Coast trade will involve a number of pick swaps in 2027 and 2028, and the cornerstone will be a 2028 second-round choice. It will have to be approved by the AFL, which is all but assured.
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Sam McClure is an award-winning AFL journalist and broadcaster.Connect via X or email.
Jake Niall is a Walkley award-winning sports journalist and chief AFL writer for The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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