North Melbourne has had one of the most drawn out and arduous list builds of the 21st century. Right alongside Melbourne, which was a basket case from 2008 until 2017 when the Demons finished in ninth spot and finally moved on to bigger and better things.
The Kangaroos have been battered and beaten since they infamously started an overhaul of their list at the end of 2016.
Four of North Melbourne's senior players "retired" with Brent Harvey, Nick Dal Santo, Michael Firrito, Farren Ray, Daniel Wells (to Collingwood) and Drew Petrie (West Coast) leaving the club, while a further three were delisted. The Roos then lost veterans Andrew Swallow and Lindsay Thomas the following year as the deep cut continued.
What happened next was a slow decline before six years of bottom three finishes from 2020-25, including two wooden spoons. But in 2026, the Roos' heart has started to beat again and their talent through the midfield is clear with Tristan Xerri, Harry Sheezel and Luke Davies-Uniacke dominant and young guns George Wardlaw and Finn O'Sullivan impressing.
North Melbourne's forward line mix of captain Nick Larkey, emerging tall Cooper Trembath and smalls Lachy Dovaston, Paul Curtis and Charlie Spargo is also strong.
That leaves defence as the major concern for the club if it is to rise out of the doldrums and give its fans hope of contesting for flags like the Kangaroos did in the 1990s.
To do that, North Melbourne needs a certified high-quality key defender to lockdown the opposition's best key forward and partner Charlie Comben in defensive 50. So who are the best options that the Roos should target in the 2026 trade period?
1Jacob Weitering (Carlton)
The Roos should throw their chips on the table, offer the club's 2026 first-round pick (currently pick nine, though likely to be lower come season's end), another first-rounder and go hell-for-leather after Weitering.
The 28-year-old is contracted until 2031 and still has four or five years left of value at least. He would become the anchor of the Kangaroos defence, allowing Comben to work more as a centre-half back and use his speed and attacking nous to set up offence. North Melbourne doesn't need a young project key defender, they need a guy who can deliver from Round 1, 2027.
Weitering has been criticised for his output in 2026, along with the rest of the Carlton Football Club, and could relish a new start at a team on the rise.
He is far from finished as a footballer and has won an All-Australian jacket (2024), has been part of the All-Australian squad on five occasions (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024) and is a two-time best-and-fairest winner (2020 and 2023).
He is a great lockdown defender who can thwart the opposition's best key forward and should be North Melbourne's number one trade target this off-season.
