North Melbourne midfield coach Michael Barlow has revealed that it's "more unlikely than likely" that Jy Simpkin will retain his captaincy after his failed attempt to move clubs.
Simpkin, contracted until the end of 2029, explored his options at rival clubs in search of more prominent midfield minutes after falling by the wayside due to Tom Powell, George Wardlaw and Harry Sheezel's emergence.
The numbers indicate that the 27-year-old's centre bounce attendance rate has diminished year-on-year, dropping from 83.4 per cent in 2022 to 33.7 per cent in 2025.
Collingwood investigated a potential trade, but was uninterested in the Kangaroos' asking price.
Barlow, standing alongside Colby McKercher at Thursday's press conference at Arden Street, said that Simpkin had returned to the club ready to "set standards" for the playing group, but a decision on his role has yet to officially be confirmed.
"It's not something we have really discussed at length, being November, it has been mentioned in passing," Barlow said.
"It's a bit cliché, but each year you go through the process of who are your leaders in the playing group and what pops out of that is who is your captain.
"Full transparency, I think after the trade period, Todd Viney, footy manager, got up and said it was something we'd have to consider.
"It's more unlikely than likely, that's on the record, and with Jy, he seems really clear-headed with where he's at right now.
"As Todd said, to take his words, it's probably more unlikely than likely, but that will just give an opportunity to someone else if that is the case."
McKercher was quizzed on Simpkin's assimilation back into Arden Street following the attempted trade, saying that "not much really changed" amongst the playing group.
"We all have a strong relationship with Jy," he said.
"We kind of leave that stuff in the past and wrap our arms around him because there was a lot of noise floating around.
"All the boys were really happy to see him, and he's been in quite regularly, ticking off some of his training and getting back going."
Last month, Simpkin took to social media to unveil the battles he has experienced over the past 24 months, which took a "toll on my mental health".
The utility revealed that the passing of "two very important loved ones" in the same year placed an enormous amount of stress on him.
"I love this club and my teammates as much as anything, and without going into too much detail, although I never wanted to leave, I thought that a change of environment may help spark my love for the game again, especially if it was best for both the club and myself," his statement said.
"Everything happens for a reason, and I'm exactly where I need to be."
