Nick Blakey leaps into life as a Kangaroo, McVeigh watches Dons closely as AFL pre-season begins
Former Swan Nick Blakey has officially started his North Melbourne career with an appearance on the opening day of pre-season training.
Blakey, who crossed to his father John’s old club in a high-profile trade this off-season, joined the Roos’ first-to-fourth-year players at Arden Street on Monday, along with fellow senior players, including Harry Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Luke Parker, Griffin Logue and Tristan Xerri.
The 26-year-old defender signed an eight-year deal with North Melbourne worth more than $11 million, with the Kangaroos handing over two first-round picks in the trade.
North are beginning a new era under coach Jaymie Graham after sacking four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson.
Blakey remains one of the subjects in an ongoing Victoria Police investigation into sexual assault allegations at the Pullman hotel on August 17.
Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice were also present in the hotel room. Police now consider Bice and two other men who were there, including recently retired ex-teammate Taylor Adams, as witnesses to the pre-dawn events.
The players maintain their innocence and have denied any criminal wrongdoing.
Essendon and Richmond were also among the clubs to resume pre-season training on Monday.
Like the Kangaroos, the Bombers also have a new coach, Mark McVeigh who attended training alongside the club’s new general manager of performance, John Longmire.
Many of Essendon’s leading lights turned out for training with the first-to-fourth-year crew, headlined by captain Andy McGrath, Mason Redman, Jye Caldwell and Kyle Langford.
Star Bomber Nic Martin has a big summer ahead after missing the entire 2026 season after suffering a setback in November last year while recovering from an ACL rupture. He last played in July last year.
The Tigers are looking to take a leap in Adem Yze’s fourth season at the helm.
Recruits Kieren Briggs and Nathan O’Driscoll were among the Richmond players at training at Waverley Park as the Tigers’ future was on show, from No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor to fellow top-10 selections Sam Cumming and Josh Smillie, who appears to be healthy after an injury-ravaged start to his AFL career.
Athletic tall Ethan Read won Gold Coast’s two-kilometre time trial ahead of Ben Jepson and Zeke Uwland, while West Coast and Port Adelaide also resumed ahead of the 2027 season.
As one of this year’s finalists, Melbourne were not on the training track on Monday, but did make a recruiting announcement of their own, confirming the appointment of freshly retired Collingwood great Steele Sidebottom.
The 35-year-old, who played in two premierships among 375 games for the Pies will work for the Demons as a development coach.
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