With the Brisbane Lions matching North Melbourne's bid for Will Ashcroft early into the opening night of the draft, the move opened the door for Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw to walk to the club, with the pair secured with Picks 3 and 4 respectively.
Kangaroos List Manager Brady Rawlings fronted the media ecstatic with their selections in drafting both a prized key forward as well as an inside midfielder with a ball-winning ability to add to their engine room.
The doubt quickly wavered early in the interview regarding the minor hamstring injury Wardlaw sustained throughout the year with Rawlings "pretty confident once you get into an AFL programme it gets managed really well."
Rawlings continued in commenting on the reasoning behind pulling the trigger on the pair, "the combination of looking at Sheezel and Wardlaw was something that was really appealing to us."
The versatility factor was a big draw card for North Melbourne with Rawlings suggesting "we want to build a midfield that's got a lot of depth and be able to play in different positions."
Under the guidance of newly appointed head coach Alistair Clarkson and a wave of youth brightening up Arden Street, North Melbourne fans will be anxious to meet their fate in season 2023.
Watch Rawlings' full post-draft interview following the first night of the count below.
