North Melbourne recruiting chief Will Thursfield has staunchly defended the club's decision to part with its 2025 first-round pick in a bold move to secure key-position prospect Matt Whitlock during the opening night of the 2024 AFL Draft.
The Kangaroos traded their future first-round selection to Richmond in exchange for pick 27 and the Tigers' future second-rounder, using the acquired pick to snap up Whitlock, a versatile tall they rated as a potential top 10 talent.
โReally happy,โ Thursfield said post-draft.
โCame in wanting to get the best player, pick two, and then trade back in for a tall, which we were lucky enough to do. Got our men tonight, which was good.โ
At 197cm, Whitlock offers the Roos flexibility at both ends of the ground. The Murray Bushrangers product impressed during the 2024 season, kicking 27 goals in 14 Coates Talent League games while also excelling as a key defender with strong intercept-marking numbers.
โPlays forward, back, genuine key position size, going to have the athletic profile to match up against the big boys,โ Thursfield said of Whitlock's skillset.
Despite being a standout in his draft year, Thursfield acknowledged that the draft slid for taller players, which allowed Whitlock to remain available at the end of the first round.
โAll the talls really drifted,โ he said.
โIt was all about the player, though. We've got enough kids in now, we've hit the trade period and got some mature boys in, so it's time to get moving.โ
North Melbourne's move has drawn mixed reactions, given the team's history of bottom-two finishes over the past five seasons, raising the stakes of trading a potentially high-value future pick.
Though the Kangaroos also acquired Richmond's future second-round selection in the deal, slightly mitigating the risk.
The club is confident they'll improve next season, Thursfield citing the addition of young talents like Finn O'Sullivan (pick 2) and mature players secured during the trade period.
โYou'd hope to improve quite a bit, given the cattle we brought in and another year into these kids,โ he said.
โBut it's hard to say.โ
While Whitlock's primary position remains undecided, Thursfield likened his potential impact to teammate Charlie Comben, another tall who can swing between forward and defensive roles.
โHe's shown this year that he can do both at a high level,โ Thursfield noted.
โHis intercept numbers as a defender were high, and he went forward and kicked 27 goals in not many weeks.โ
Whitlock, who grew up on a Shepparton farm, will also have the chance to line up against his twin brother Jack in the future, having been picked up by Port Adelaide on the draft's second night.
While the move carries inherent risks, the Kangaroos are banking on Whitlock's potential to deliver as they continue their climb out of the competition's lower rungs.
