Delisted North Melbourne forward Curtis Taylor is adamant he has plenty to offer at AFL level, saying he didn't expect the club to make the difficult call.
Taylor was drafted with Pick 46 in the 2018 National Draft, playing 76 games and kicking 33 goals before being axed.
Despite a lowly eight matches in 2024, the 24-year-old was a consistent feature in the Kangaroos side between 2021 and 2023 before falling out of favour under Alastair Clarkson.
However, Taylor believes that for rivals, he is a "free hit", costing the clubs nothing if they were to sign him as a delisted free agent.
"I didn't see the writing on the wall. I played 18 games in 2023, and this year, I had injuries. I came in at Round 10 and played 8 games. I am 24, fit and ready to go," Taylor said on AFL Trade Radio.
"I was shocked. Six years, 24 years old, 76 games, I was very shocked in terms of where we were going as a club, I thought that was the age demographic that we needed.
"The conversations at the end were along lines that we haven't got the best out of you, and you might be best looking elsewhere to get that out of you. I will now have to play my best footy somewhere else.
"I will keep myself fit for the next club. I still have a lot of optimism, the drive is still there. I am a free hit for clubs. Keep myself motivated. I know I can play footy at the top level.
"I feel I see the game well. I feel my best footy is as a forward. My work rate is something I hold high. I am very coachable and happy to take on any role. I am motivated to go again.
"I just want another opportunity, my best footy is ahead of me."
The 24-year-old's manager, James Pitcher from Bravo Management, suggested that being delisted might give him a greater opportunity of being signed by an AFL club, given the unlikelihood of a trade.
โWe can see the talent that he's got. We were probably a little bit surprised that North went down that angle,โ Pitcher said onย AFL Trade Radio'sย Gettable.
โBut, similar to the Jack Martin situation, maybe it is a better position to actually be delisted. Instead of being in limbo and the potential of a trade, you can be put on a list as a delisted free agent.โ
