Ruthless Roos leap towards relevance with Blakey blockbuster

October 13, 2026 — 12:32pm

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North Melbourne finally reeled in their big fish. Or, “Lizard” in this case.

Nick Blakey is not a gun midfielder or a Coleman Medal-winning spearhead, but he is a legitimate star with an All-Australian honour and two grand final appearances on his resume.

He grew up in Sydney and chose to start with the Swans instead of being a father-son selection at the Kangaroos, where his father John was a dual premiership player, and flirted with a move to Geelong before eventually choosing North. But who cares?

Blakey will be at the Roos in 2027, and for at least the next eight seasons.

The trade is a victory for list boss Brady Rawlings and co. after falling short in these types of pursuits so many times across the years.

AFL trade period LIVE updates: Roos complete blockbuster Blakey deal, and they’re not done yet; Blues, Giants at Whitfield impasse

The Roos were viewed as nothing more than a stalking horse two years ago when Dan Houston left Port Adelaide and was considering his options en route to Collingwood.

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