North Melbourne enter their second straight off-season with the wooden spoon in one hand and the first selection at the National Draft in the other.
2021 saw the Roos recruit Jason Horne-Francis out of South Adelaide with Pick 1, a selection that was subject to stunning trade offers from Adelaide and Richmond.
North stood firm to baulk at any external advances, no matter the wealth of picks on offer for their sole selection. But should an enticing package be on the table the Roos are seen to be more likely to work through negotiations for Pick 1 this year.
Should the Roos look to move their top selection, there are certainly a handful of scenarios that could see them gain multiple draft picks, or even players, in return.
Pick 1 hasn't been traded since 2001, with Fremantle parting with their place atop the draft board to lure Trent Croad and Luke McPharlin from Hawthorn, who received Picks 20 and 36 on top of the opening pick for the 2001 National Draft, where they were able to select four-time premiership great Luke Hodge.
Now it's unlikely we'll see a pair of packages swap hands like the Dockers and Hawks did 21 years ago, but there are several scenarios that the Roos could ponder.
Here we weigh up four scenarios that could see North Melbourne depart with Pick 1 for the 2022 National Draft.
SEE ALSO: Five trade targets for North Melbourne to consider
3. Scenario 3
Pick and player package - GWS Giants
Like the Dockers, the Giants have also gained the spotlight ahead of the sign and trade period with a potential 'exodus' on the way.
Now any interest in star duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper would only see the Roos arrive late to the party, with the hard-nosed duo tipped to join Richmond and Geelong respectively should they depart Western Sydney.
But that's not to say North Melbourne's assumed wealth of salary space can't sway one or the other.
Taranto's venture to Punt Road reads more likely than not, while plenty is still needing to play out at Kardinia Park for the Cats to get their hands on Hopper. So could the Roos look to cause a stir in Geelong's pursuit of the North Ballarat product?
Now let's say the Roos convince Hopper into a preference of stripes over hoops, how do the next steps, and the inclusion of Pick 1, come to fruition?
The Giants could easily lean into a rebuild with the departures of Taranto and Hopper, with no hand better for a list flip than the opening pick of the draft.
So we have our two main pieces in the trade, but the Giants will be needing to fork up more to secure Pick 1.
The Roos' already reported interest in Tanner Bruhn is sure to come into the calculations. Would the pairing of two former first-rounders in Hopper and Bruhn be enough to satisfy North Melbourne? Perhaps some steak knives and later selections would be thrown in the mix.
