New North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson.Credit:Jason South
The AFL also gave North the right to an additional two rookies on the list - a measure aimed at allowing the club to keep younger players while bringing in more mature talent.
Sources familiar with the AFL’s draft assistance package for the Kangaroos said the future picks had to be used in trades this year or they would cease to exist.
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The league wanted to help North Melbourne without penalising rival clubs,and they did not want the Kangaroos to stockpile draft picks,but to use them on players immediately.
The assistance package can be used to help the Kangaroos complete deals for players they are recruiting during the trade period - such as Fremantle’s Griffin Logue,who intends to cross to Arden Street on a five-year deal.
Sources said the AFL wanted the draft assistance to be dealt with in one hit this year,rather than spread over multiple seasons as has been the case with the Gold Coast Suns,who were granted a raft of draft and list concessions in 2019 - including access to a priority pick before the draft (meaning they had picks No.1 and No.2 in the national draft).
In North Melbourne’s pitch for AFL assistance,they had requested extra list spots and multiple draft picks.