Nick Blakey leaves Sydney for North Melbourne in big trade-day deal
Nick Blakey has been traded from the Sydney Swans to the North Melbourne Kangaroos on Tuesday 13 October, on the penultimate day of the AFL trade period.
The deal ends Blakey's eight-season run in Sydney. He requested a trade despite having five years left on his Swans contract, then chose North Melbourne after meeting with Geelong, St Kilda and Gold Coast The Guardian.
Sydney sent Blakey, pick No.52 and its 2028 second-round selection to North. In return, North sent picks No.6 and No.47, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to Sydney. Picks are the order in which clubs select young players in the national draft, and they are routinely swapped alongside players during the trade period.
North Melbourne's offer to Blakey has been reported as an eight-year deal worth more than $11 million. The length and value would tie him to the Kangaroos deep into the next decade. It is a heavy commitment for a 26-year-old running defender.
The family link is strong. Blakey was eligible to join North Melbourne or Brisbane as a father-son selection, a rule that lets sons of qualifying former players join their father's club. His father John played 224 games for the Kangaroos, including the 1996 and 1999 premierships. Blakey instead joined Sydney as an academy product with pick No.10 in the 2018 draft, and went on to play 173 games in red and white.
North Melbourne presents him as an All-Australian defender, and Sydney last season rated him among the best half-backs in the league. The half-back is the line just behind the midfield, where pace and long kicking can turn defence into attack. Blakey's speed made him central to that role.
His exit follows the Pullman Hotel scandal. Blakey was one of five Sydney players stood down for breaching club standards after a post-match party in East Melbourne. The club suspensions are separate from an ongoing police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel.
Blakey has apologised for the events that led to his departure. He said he was sorry and that he knows he has to win back the trust of the broader community, football and otherwise Daily Telegraph.
For fans, this means a clean break with baggage still attached. North gets a proven runner with his best years ahead. Sydney gets draft capital, including the No.6 selection, to rebuild its list AFL.com.au.
North also shuffled picks around the deal, sending Zane Duursma and pick No.52 to Melbourne for picks No.33 and No.49. The Kangaroos have already begun promoting Blakey as a new recruit.
