It's been another year of disappointment at Arden Street, as the Kangaroos have seemingly failed to make any major progress toward a potential finals campaign in the near future.
North Melbourne had an active 2024 trade period, targeting a trio of established veterans on the market, namely former Bulldog Caleb Daniel, Swans legend Luke Parker and Eagles key forward Jack Darling, in the hopes that their leadership would fasten the development of their budding young core.
However, that hasn't exactly happened, and while the likes of Harry Sheezel continue to dominate for the royal blue and white, there are certainly some key areas that need strengthening.
We take a look at five trade and free agency targets for North Melbourne to consider this year.
1Malcolm Rosas
A key list weakness for the Kangaroos at the moment is their small forward depth, meaning out-of-favour Sun Malcolm Rosas could be right up their alley.
The 24-year-old has been linked to a move south recently, with interest coming from Richmond and Sydney, but North Melbourne could throw their hat in the ring too, with the offer of guaranteed AFL minutes.
That could be a significant lure for the young gun, who has managed just three AFL games this season under Damien Hardwick, despite averaging close to 20 disposals per game over his last two months at reserve level. Notably, he kicked a four-goal haul against Richmond's VFL side last weekend and recorded 25 disposals and four tackles against Collingwood's VFL side in Round 16.
Aside from Paul Curtis' 30 goals and Cooper Harvey's solid output in four games this year, the Kangaroos lack impactful small forwards that fit the current timeline of their rebuild, with Cameron Zurhaar turning 28 next year. Rosas is certainly capable of dynamising their forward line instantly and helping the Roos ramp up their rebuild process.
