North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin seeks more time in midfield

North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin is the latest AFL captain with an uncertain future at his club, after the skipper made plain his unhappiness at a lack of midfield time.

Simpkin’s management declined to comment on whether he would explore a trade. No formal request for a trade has been made.

Simpkin, 27, expressed a wish for more time in the midfield on multiple occasions within the football department during 2025, and sources familiar with the situation – speaking confidentially – said this wish for more midfield time was raised again during his exit interview.

Should Simpkin seek a trade, he would become the third AFL club skipper to want out of his club this year, following the exit of West Coast skipper Oscar Allen, who will join the Brisbane Lions as a free agent, and Essendon’s skipper Zach Merrett, who has made it clear he wishes to be traded – most likely to Hawthorn – even though he hasn’t yet made that request formally.

Simpkin’s manager David Trotter, of Hemisphere Management Group, declined to comment when asked if his client would explore a trade, partly to gain more midfield time.

Simpkin, a standalone captain for the first time this season, has been used on the wing and as a high half-forward as well as in the midfield this year, but it is clear that he is behind young gun Harry Sheezel, the powerful Luke Davis-Uniacke, and the nimble George Wardlaw in the midfield pecking order.

He could also be overtaken by prized youngster Finn O’Sullivan and the Kangaroos also have another talented high draft pick Colby McKercher – used primarily at half-back – capable of moving in to the midfield soon. They also brought in veteran Luke Parker from the Swans in last year’s trade period.

Simpkin is contracted until the end of 2029 on a sizeable deal, estimated at more than $800,000.

Simpkin performed brilliantly for the Indigenous all-stars, winning the best afield medal in their game against Fremantle during pre-season, playing as a midfielder.

Later in the season, he excelled in games when Alastair Clarkson deployed him on the wing.

Before becoming North’s sole captain this year, Simpkin spent two seasons sharing the captaincy with veteran Luke McDonald.

He won North’s best and fairest, the Syd Barker Medal, in 2021 and 2022 and was runner-up in 2020. Sheezel shared the award with Tristan Xerri this year. It was a back-to-back medal for Sheezel, in just his third season in the AFL.

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