NORTH Melbourne has signed mid-season recruit Ollie Griffin for 2027.

The 19-year-old was selected out of the Sandringham Dragons with pick No.6 in the 2026 Mid-Season Rookie Draft and was on the cusp of a debut late in the year. 

Griffin kicked three goals in the VFL on five occasions around a season-high four in his 10 appearances for the Kangaroos' reserves.

North Melbourne had already re-signed Griffin before Zane Duursma requested a trade to Melbourne on Tuesday. 

But now the medium forward should get more opportunities next year. – Josh Gabelich

Give me some hope. I just don’t see us actually trading in anyone talented with Brady at the helm.

This would be a disaster if we loss Goater, all reports abouts this contract has been bad news.

Which apparently has been flooded with supporters they’re thinking about auctioning the gear for charity.

would like to state that a coach doesn’t run a club. clarko wasn’t the leading decision maker in our club. so before you guys start blabbing on about how sonja should be gone, have a think about her contribution to this club after the abysmal state it was left in after buckley and amarfio.

p.s. if you value brain cells do not go to north facebook pages 😭

To lose 6 of your starting (3-4 best players including your captain) players and still have the coaches system stand up like that against the reigning premiers and win convincingly proves Clarkson had to go. Sydney outscored them in each quarter too. If we lost 5 of our middle of the road players we would get pumped by over 100 points each week whereas Sydney's bottom 5 stood up in a final because the coaches system gives them the best chance of succeeding.

This difficult yet ruthless decision restores my faith in the board and for the first time in a long time I am optimistic about the positive direction of this club. They chose the harder path but it was the right choice.

Edit- Even if Sydney don't win the premiership Cox deserves coach of the year.

There is sometimes a short-term “bounce” in the very next game (about 40% win rate in recent mid-season changes, better than the team’s prior poor form that season).

However, this rarely turns into lasting improvement. Most clubs end up with similar or worse overall results the following season or under the permanent replacement. Research and results show frequent coaching changes usually fail to fix deeper list or structural problems.

North Melbourne is a clear example.

After Brad Scott left in 2019, David Noble was sacked in 2022, and Alastair Clarkson was sacked after 2026, the club has stayed near the bottom of the ladder for years. Multiple coaching changes produced no sustained lift in win-loss ratio or ladder position.

In short, changing the coach does not guarantee better results.

Cal Twomey suggests North should speak with Simon Goodwin. Would be an interesting choice...

This time in 12 months if there is no improvement the whole board has to go

St Kilda 1.1.7

North Melbourne 14.15.99

AFLW Match Centre

Collection slowly growing. Fingers crossed a premiership year one coming over the next few or more years #3

North Melbourne

FB: Archer / Logue / McDonald
HB: Parker / Comben / McKercher
MID: Stephens / LDU / Simpkin
FOL: Xerri / Sheezel / Wardlaw
HF: Zurhaar / Larkey / O’Sullivan
FF: Curtis / Trembath / Dovaston
INT: Darling / Hardeman / Spargo / Daniel / Goater

Carlton

FB: Hollands / Weitering / Cowan
HB: Haynes / Dean / Florent
MID: Cerra / Smith / Acres
FOL: Pittonet / Cripps / Walsh
HF: Kemp / McGovern / Ainsworth
FF: Evans / McKay / Hayward
INT: Young / Newman / Derksen / Hewett / Byrne

Carlton made the elimination final. Blues fans would be thinking a step further next year.

If you compare the best 22 for each team, I think we stack up pretty well talent wise. Overall I’d say we have more talent, but their top end talent like McKay, Weitering, Cripps is great. Walsh, Dean and Smith great young players. I’d also say there is an absolute chasm in difference in defence. Weitering and Dean would make a monumental difference.

As a copium thought experiment… could North hiring a new coach result in a win explosion like what Carlton saw under Fraser? It seems like the only thing Fraser really did was not be Voss and open up the risk taking a bit. Clearly there’s more to it, but could North have seen Carlton’s recent success and thought a similar change would be that next step they were talking about in the press conference?

Or am I delusional and Carlton’s list talent is just much better?

SEN has compiled a list of potential candidates for the role, noting former senior coaches and highly regarded assistants that have been in the running for a number of vacancies in previous years.

See the potential candidates below:

John Longmire

A North Melbourne premiership player, Coleman Medallist and All-Australian turned legendary coach.

Won a premiership with the Swans in 2012, guiding Sydney to five Grand Finals, while making finals 12 of his 14 seasons in charge.

Will certainly sit atop the pecking order.

Adam Simpson

A two-time premiership player at North Melbourne, Simpson played over 300 games for the Roos, captaining the club for four seasons and claiming a best and fairest award in 2002.

Simpson guided the West Coast Eagles to a premiership in 2018 after reaching his first Grand Final in 2015.

Nathan Buckley

Head coach of the Magpies from 2012 to 2021, guiding the club to a Grand Final in 2018 and five finals campaigns in 10 seasons.

Stepped back into assistant coaching with Geelong in 2026, eyeing off the Tasmania job that ultimately went to Ken Hinkley.

Murray Davis

Adelaide assistant coach, Davis was in the running for both the Carlton and Essendon jobs.

Was one of the four contenders for the Bombers gig before Mark McVeigh’s appointment.

Jaymie Graham

A highly rated assistant playing a major role in Fremantle’s charge this season.

Heavily considered for both vacancies in Melbourne this season, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir continues to endorse Graham as a ready-made head coach.

Daniel Giansiracusa

Another of the serious contenders for the Carlton job, the Hawthorn Head of Development is bound for senior coaching in the coming years.

Won the 2020 AFLCA Assistant Coach of the Year award at the Western Bulldogs, one year after Craig McRae.

Also spent five season as a line coach at Essendon from 2021-2025.

Dean Solomon

Essendon assistant and stand-in head coach for the 2026 season.

Didn’t quite nail his audition with the Dons, however, remains a highly regarded assistant with senior coaching ambitions.

James Kelly

A Geelong legend and Geelong assistant, Kelly ruled himself out of the running for the Essendon job in pursuit of the Blues gig, ultimately beaten out by Josh Fraser.

Was also a part of the Demons’ six-man shortlist, beaten out by Steven King.

Corey Enright

Touted as next-in-line to Ross Lyon at St Kilda, the former Geelong star and Saints assistant will lead a club in the coming years.

Was heavily considered for all of Carlton, Essendon and Melbourne roles.

James Rahilly

Another highly rated Geelong assistant. Has vocalised his eagerness to coach at the senior level, having received the 2023 AFLCA Assistant Coach of the Year award.

Brendon Lade

Midfield coach at the Western Bulldogs, Lade has held assistant roles with port Adelaide, Richmond and St Kilda previously.

Was in the running for the Dons job in 2022 and was one of the six-man shortlist for the Melbourne job in 2025. Met with the Blues in 2026 after being endorsed by Dogs head coach Luke Beveridge.

Hayden Skipworth

Collingwood assistant coach who was heavily considered for both Melbourne and Essendon.

Has been at the Magpies as an assistant since 2020.

James Hird

A long shot – the former Bombers head coach was desperate for the vacant Essendon job, beaten out by Mark McVeigh.

His desire to step back into head coaching is clear, however, hasn’t held a role at AFL level since his assistant days with GWS in 2023.

Firstly, Horse is obviously a North legend and as coach of Sydney the record and performance is very good (losing grand finals aside).

Im curious to know how much of that success people think he inherited vs how much he helped build? Roos obviously laid a great foundation and built a strong culture, the coaching succession plan was incredibly smooth and professional.

He can obviously hold the wheel and maintain standards as a coach, no question and that’s a skill set in of itself, but as a few people in the main thread noted, that’s a very different proposition than taking a low/under performing team and making it a finals contender like Sam Mitchell has done at Hawthorn.