Updated ,first published
Nick Blakey’s path to North Melbourne remains uncertain as Sydney and the Kangaroos look to ramp up discussions over a blockbuster deal.
Saturday was the calm before the storm, with neither club holding major discussions over Blakey’s future, according to two industry sources with knowledge of the matter.
The Kangaroos’ pick No.6 in this year’s draft shapes as the key component of any trade to send Blakey to the club where his father John played 224 of his 359 games and won two premierships in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The pressure is on North Melbourne to secure a deal for Blakey, having made many unsuccessful bids to poach rival stars, including Richmond champion Dustin Martin, Collingwood star Jordan De Goey, GWS gun Josh Kelly, and Swans superstar Isaac Heeney.
Blakey has five years to run on his contract so they must find a package of picks to entice the Swans to release the All-Australian rebounding defender.
Blakey wants to move to Arden Street but Essendon, Geelong and St Kilda have all expressed interest in him.
The Cats do not have the draft picks to entice the Swans, after parting ways with first-round picks for defender Jordan Ridley and ruckman Rowan Marshall, but the Saints have picks 10 and 16 this year, plus a future-first in 2028.
The North Melbourne board, headed by president Sonja Hood, has signed off on a $12 million offer for Blakey, who was one of five players handed season-ending suspensions by the Swans for his involvement in 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 suspensions denied criminal wrongdoing. One of those players, Riley Bice, is no longer subject of the investigation and is being treated as a witness.
Elsewhere, Carlton and Collingwood are close to finalising a deal to turn young Blues ruckman Flynn Riley into a Magpie. The trade is likely to involve future picks.
The Pies have a full suite of selections in 2027 and 2028 to work with to satisfy the Blues, who acquired Riley in this year’s mid-season draft. The Blues rated him highly enough to offer a two-year deal, but the Pies have offered more.
Butters’ childhood dream comes true with Bulldogs move
Jon Pierik
Boom recruit Zak Butters says the Western Bulldogs are on the cusp of “something special”, and revealed he turned to Marcus Bontempelli for advice throughout the year before making his decision to head to the Whitten Oval.
Butters, 26, is officially a Bulldog on a record nine-year contract worth between $17 million and $17.5 million after the AFL on Friday approved a convoluted side deal involving five clubs and a series of first, second and later draft picks exchanged.
The Butters contract is the biggest in AFL history in total, though he will earn less than the $2 million per season St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has made.
“It’s good to make the decision and be here, and, yeah, I feel like it was a long time getting to this point,” Butters said.
“And a few people told me along the journey that when you know, you know. And I felt like, yeah, once I knew, I just wanted to get it done, and get here and meet everyone and start my next journey.”
Butters had already formed a friendship with Bontempelli, the Bulldogs’ skipper and legendary figure, which the club had felt was a factor in their favour in the intense competition for the midfield gun that also involved Richmond and Geelong.
“He’s obviously one that I am looking forward to playing with, and he’s been an inspiration of mine since I was a kid, and probably more so the more I got to know him, not just this year, but along the journey and playing against him,” Butters told the Bulldogs’ website.
“[I’m] trying to be the best, so you’re trying to learn off the best, and he’s he’s definitely one of them. So, over the last year as well, he’s just been a good sounding board and someone that you want to play footy with.
“I feel like, as much as I can add to the footy club, that I’ll learn a lot from him, and some other guys at the footy club as well. So, yeah, I’m really looking forward to learning and becoming better off guys like Marcus and Bevo [coach Luke Beveridge] as well.”
Butters grew up following the Dogs, his family residing in Darley on the western metropolitan fringe. He played for the Western Jets before being taken by the Power with the 12th pick of the 2018 national draft.
He said one of the highlights of his life had been attending the 2016 finals, when the Bulldogs unexpectedly stormed to their second club premiership.
“Yeah, I have loved the Bulldogs since I was a kid, had plenty of jumpers growing up, and loved a lot of different players. But, probably, 2016 is hard to top,” Butters said.
“I remember catching the train in from Bacchus Marsh, and watching the finals, and was lucky enough to sneak a few tickets through friends and family. And yeah, I remember catching the train home after the ’16 granny [grand final], and, obviously, catching the train back through the west to get to Bacchus Marsh, it was pretty chaotic and loud.
“It’s still one of my favourite days that I’ve had in footy. So it’d be cool to try and run that back.”
Butters said he wants to be role model for youth in the western suburbs, reinforcing that they, too, can reach the heights of elite football.
He failed to play in a grand final in his eight years with the Power, and wants that to change at his new club. The Dogs’ 2026 campaign ended with an elimination final defeat to Adelaide.
“It’s an exciting stage for the football club, and one that we can, hopefully, really challenge in,” Butters said.
“And you want to bring members and all that along for the ride, and bring them in on the journey, and you want them to be there for the wins and the losses, and come along for the ride with us. And I feel like it could be something pretty special.”
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
