North Melbourne asked the league to give it special access to Tasmanian draft prospects as part of its assistance package, reports AFL Media’s Cal Twomey.
However the request was shut down by the AFL, ahead of a likely decision on how the back-to-back wooden spooners will be helped next week.
As part of discussions with league officials, North Melbourne asked for a larger playing list, following on from concessions given to Gold Coast in 2019.
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The Suns were permitted to list up to 10 extra rookies, adding players like Connor Budarick and Malcolm Rosas.
But the Roos also discussed further access to Tasmanian draft-age players, similar to how Gold Coast’s Academy zone was widened to include Darwin.
The Tassie request was not part of their final application. The club already gets access to Next Generation Academy players – those in the state with an Indigenous or multicultural background – which helped them nab Tarryn Thomas in 2018.
