Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and in the world of football, we as fans tend to get caught up in the events of days gone by.
Every footy fanatic has that one player that they long to see take the field, however long gone their days of handling a Sherrin may be.
Whether it be Daicos or Doull, Ricciuto or Richardson, fans can usually point to a single figure that captured their imagination during their formative years of watching AFL football.
SEE ALSO: If your AFL team could bring back one player - Part 1
Similar to our 'If your club could steal one player...' series, this trio of pieces will go through all 18 teams in the league, pointing at the weak spots in their best 22 and picking one of four past players to slot into their lineup and remedy their club's ailments.
We continue today with the second six teams of the competition based on alphabetical order.
Option 1: Malcolm Blight
'Blighty' is a name that gets thrown around often at Arden Street, and for good reason with the man himself being a club legend at the Roos.
Winning two flags, a Brownlow Medal and a Coleman Medal, Blight was an incredible presence and is hailed as one of the best to ever come out of South Australia.
His final year at Arden Street in 1982 saw him boot an astonishing 103 goals from 20 games, with his previous best haul being 77 goals in 24 games.
One of his most endearing legacies is the huge 80-metre torpedo he launched to win the game after the siren in 1976 against Carlton, with the kick being one of the greatest goals ever witnessed in the history of the game.
Option 2: Wayne Carey
Wayne Carey is one of the most famous, yet infamous, characters in the footballing world, with his playing career being marred by his off-field behaviour.
Despite this, many punters consider 'Duck' to be the greatest Roo of all time, with some even going as far to say that Carey was the best player of all time.
A natural centre half-forward, Carey managed 727 goals in 272 appearances with his 13-year stint at North Melbourne providing an insane highlight reel.
As mentioned earlier, off-field matters did end up spilling on-field with Carey forced to switch to Adelaide in the latter stages of his career. However, purely on footballing ability, it's extremely difficult to look past him for someone more talented.
Option 3: Brent Harvey
For someone who exemplifies longevity, look no further than 'Boomer' Harvey.
The all-time VFL/AFL record holder for most games played with 432, the enigmatic small forward was incredibly damaging on his day.
A premiership player and four-time All-Australian, Harvey ruled the roost at Arden Street for so long, winning five club best-and-fairest awards in his 20-year career.
Even in his final year at the club, Harvey managed to boot 36 goals and could've perhaps played on if he wished, Yet, at 38-years-of-age, he realised that it was best to hang up the boots while he was ahead.
The fact he was in the North Melbourne side for so long and seldom missed a game is remarkable, and it'll be a long time before anyone breaks 'Boomer's' record again.
Option 4: Keith Greig
A running red-headed wingman, Keith Greig was instrumental for 'The Shinboners' in the '70s.
Greig won back-to-back Brownlows in 1973 and 1974, with his first and only flag coming a year later in 1975. His efforts of distribution were a sight to behold and many often remarked he had iron lungs with the way he never stopped running from siren to siren.
Appearing on 294 occasions for the Roos, Greig nailed down a spot in the AFL Team of the Century on the wing, although he was able to play off halfback in the latter stages of his career.
Despite a falling out with coach Ron Barassi, Greig still managed to excel in the '80s and retired as a true club champion.
Verdictย
As much as these other players fit into what North needs, Wayne Carey is just too good a prospect to pass up.
Imagine him in his prime with the likes of Cameron Zurhaar and Nick Larkey down in attack, especially when they're all operating on each other's wavelengths. You'd expect some freaky highlight reels to come out of North's game almost every week.
Very scary stuff.
