North Melbourne's 2026 season has had moments of disappointment, but it has also had some genuine development and bright sparks for the first time in nearly a decade.
Finally, the green shoots are growing into trees and the performances of Finn O'Sullivan, Cooper Trembath, George Wardlaw and more make the Roos the most exciting trade proposition they have been since the mid-2010s.
Add into the mix Luke Davies-Uniacke, Harry Sheezel, Nick Larkey, Tristan Xerri and Charlie Comben and the club is starting to look more and more like a finals quality side.
So who are the trade targets for North Melbourne this off-season? Let's hope to the high heavens it includes some key defenders.
Jordon Butts (Adelaide)
He is not at the level of Weitering, but he is the definition of a rusted on and 'what you see, is what you get' key defender.
Standing at 195cm, Butts is a strong lockdown defender at Adelaide, but can be stuck behind the likes of Mark Keane, Josh Worrell and Nick Murray in defence, despite strong performances this year.
Butts is from Shepparton in Victoria's north and could be convinced to come back to his home state after spending eight seasons (playing 94 games) in Adelaide.
Both North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs are chasing key defenders and will be in the market for the 26-year-old.
He is in the perfect age bracket for the Roos as they hunt a return to finals and could partner well with Comben.
Wouldn't cost North Melbourne much salary-wise and he is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he could land at the club for free.
