DONE DEAL: North Melbourne gain midfielder as trio of picks swap hands

North Melbourne have completed a deal with Sydney to sign midfielder Dylan Stephens from the Swans, with a trio of draft picks also involved in the trade deal.

Following his request to come to Arden Street from Sydney this season, Stephens will head to the Kangaroos with Pick 25 for the 2023 National Draft.

The Swans will receive Pick 44 for this year’s draft and one of two picks from North Melbourne’s AFL support scheme will fall towards the end of next year’s first round.

The move sees the Roos add freshness and youth to their squad with the acquisition of the former top-five player, who brings with him 43 games of experience in four seasons with him. red and white.

Stephens’ departure is the first for the Swans amid a busy player movement period for the New South Wales club, who have respectively signed free agents James Jordan and Joel Hamling from Melbourne and Fremantle.

The Swans are also preparing to add Demons ruckman Brodie Grundy and Collingwood midfielder Taylor Adams ahead of next Wednesday’s trade deadline. The Kangaroos are also expected to add to their list in the coming week, with Carlton utility Zac Fisher also keen to land at Arden Street despite his contract with the Blues.

Richmond’s free agent Bigoa Nyuon is also in line to join the Kangaroos as an unrestricted free agent from Punt Road.

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The Sydney Swans have completed a trade with the North Melbourne Football Club for a set of draft picks for Dylan Stephens.

In the deal the Swans receive selection 19 in the 2024 NAB AFL Draft and selection 44 in the upcoming 2023 Draft.

In return North Melbourne receive the Swans’ selection 25 in the 2023 Draft and midfielder, Stephens.

Sydney Swans Executive GM, Football, Charlie Gardiner wished Stephens well.

“Whilst disappointed to lose Dylan, we are pleased to have facilitated a trade with North Melbourne that nets a second first round selection for the Club in next year’s draft as well as a further selection in this year’s draft.

“Since arriving at the Swans, Dylan has been an important contributor to our young playing list and we wish him all the best in the future,” Gardiner said.

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Rawlings revealed the Roos could potentially examine the delisted free agency market as an avenue to bolster their backline also.

While North Melbourne will first look internally to see if they have the capital to continue through their rebuild without needing to acquire a new defender, Rawlings said the club is open to all of the player movement mechanisms.

“We’re in that space, there’s a few mechanisms,” he continued.

“At the draft this year we have got a few picks up pretty high, there’s potential there to fill spots.

“We have been looking at the DFA space as well. We’ve also been looking internally at our list as to who could potentially play back, and we think we’ve got a few options there.”

Rawlings surfaced Toby Pink’s name as one who is on North Melbourne’s radar following his strong 2023 season with SANFL premiers Glenelg.

Pink, who spent three years with Sydney across 2017-2019 and didn’t make an appearance at AFL level, was named at full-back in the SANFL Team of the Year following his strong campaign with the Tigers.

The Kangaroos had Pink on their books ahead of the 2020 VFL season before the COVID pandemic hit, with the 25-year-old soon deciding to head back to South Australia.

“Toby is one of those players we’ve been looking at,” Rawlings said.

“He’s been in the SANFL for three years now after his opportunity with Sydney, we actually signed him up as a VFL player before COVID hit, and then he went back to Glenelg.

“We’ve kept a close eye on him. We think his second half of this year in the SANFL has been outstanding. We think he’s a premier defender in the SANFL and now a premiership player at SANFL level.

“He’s someone we’re pretty keen to bring in and we think he deserves the opportunity.”

The Kangaroos could consider the key defender as a rookie selection either via November’s draft period or as a Supplemental Selection Period acquisition over the pre-season.

Delisted free agency will open on November 1, with a number of recently departed AFL names potentially in the Roos’ sights as well.

Among those looking for news clubs is cut Essendon swingman James Stewart, who was not offered a list spot at Tullamarine for 2024 despite having a year to run on his contract.

The Bombers confirmed the former Giant is looking for a new club, and may have some suitors through delisted free agency.

“James will move on. We won’t be offering him a list spot next year,” Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro said when questioned by Zero Hanger. 

“We just think we’re going to be really tight for list spots. He’s contracted and will fulfil his contractual obligations, but there might be one or two other clubs that may give him an opportunity.”

Stewart, who stands at 197cm and 99kg, was utilised at both ends of the field during his time with the Bombers, where he played 60 games over seven years.