North Melbourne third-year first-round pick Taylor Goad looks set to take on a sizeable ruck role for the Roos in the absence of star big man Tristan Xerri this pre-season.
The South Australian, who was taken with Pick 20 in the 2023 AFL Draft, is in line to feature as the first-string ruckman when the Kangaroos take on Melbourne for their opening pre-season bout next Friday.
Xerri will suit up for Victoria in this weekend's AFL Origin match, leaving the keys to Goad for this Friday's intra-club and the match simulation session with the Demons.
That latter session will likely see Goad take on the leading ruck gig, with his counterpart to come in the form of Saint-turned-Demon Max Heath, as Melbourne will have skipper Max Gawn also making the trip to Western Australia to play for the Big V.
Goad has been a backup to Xerri as he develops his craft, playing 36 games at the state league level with no breakthrough for an AFL debut.
Callum Coleman-Jones has endured an injury-hit summer to be placed as a supporting ruck option, while forward Cooper Trembath has been training as a pinch-hitter.
Meanwhile, the Roos' sole off-season recruit with experience, premiership forward Charlie Spargo, has made his case for a Round 1 spot after an interrupted pre-season.
The 108-gamer made the switch from Melbourne via last year's free agency window after eight years in the red and blue, looking to bring some link-up play and pressure to Alastair Clarkson's front half.
Spargo was lively at Wednesday's session, with his work rate and decision-making with ball in hand leading the way.
He'll have competition from first-round pick Lachy Dovaston - another of the Roos' summer standouts - for a senior spot, while Zac Fisher, River Stevens and Zac Banch are also among the depth small forward stocks at Arden Street.
The Roos have called on Frankston's Tom Blamires and Sturt's Zac Becker as Supplemental Selection Period train-on prospects, with the former coming off a breakout VFL campaign with the Dolphins that netted him the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal.
Blamires is a damaging half-back/midfielder who boasts a good footy IQ, while Becker is noted as a 190cm lockdown defender, with his invite to train with the Roos coming after Jackson Archer's ACL injury.
Both SSP prospects are likely to feature across the course of the Roos' pre-season fixture, with upcoming hitouts against Melbourne and Collingwood falling ahead of the AFL's delayed March 2 signing deadline.
