Collingwood have reportedly turned their attention to North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin after missing out on Clayton Oliver to GWS. The Age reported on Thursday night that the Pies have expressed an interest in Simpkin, who is said to be exploring the possibility of leaving the Kangaroos.
Simpkin is said to be unhappy with a lack of midfield minutes at North Melbourne, and the Pies are keen to add someone to their midfield. The Kangaroos captain is under contract until the end of 2029, but has informed the club of his desire to leave if he continues to be played in more of a wing role.
Chris Scott and Geelong (L) have inked new deals with two players, while Craig McRae and Collingwood (R) have set their sights on a rival club’s captain. Image: Getty
North Melbourne list manager Brady Rawlings said on Monday: “You look at the last couple of weeks of football, and he played on the wing and was probably one of our better players. We play players in positions we think will help us win and that has been the case with Jy. We know he can play inside as well.
“We think the best thing for our footy club at the moment is (Luke) Davies-Uniacke, (Harry) Sheezel and (George) Wardlaw on the inside, and a blend of Simpkin on the outside and potentially on the inside. We haven’t had a trade request, he’s contracted for four more years, he’s our captain, he’s 27, and he’s a dual best-and-fairest winner.”
The Roos would likely drive a hard bargain for any potential trade involving Simpkin. If the Pies see him as a full-time midfielder, he could force his way out of the Roos and demand a trade.
It comes after Oliver nominated GWS as his preferred destination. Collingwood were keen on the Demons midfielder after he was told by Melbourne he’s free to leave.
Jy Simpkin (centre) is unhappy with a lack of midfield minutes at North Melbourne. (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Geelong announce re-signing of two players
Meanwhile, the Cats might not be getting Charlie Curnow as of yet, but they announced the re-signings of ruckman Rhys Stanley and midfielder Mitch Knevitt on one-year deals for 2026. Stanley played in Geelong’s losing grand final against Brisbane, with his selection drawing criticism for coach Brad Scott.
He’s played 171 games for the club all-up, including the triumphant 2022 grand final. Knevitt has played 21 games at AFL level – including seven this year – since debuting for the Cats in 2022.
Geelong’s executive general manager of football Andrew Mackie said: “Rhys has been a highly-valued member of our football program for a decade now and, heading into 2026, will continue to be a great teammate and important member of our squad. Mitch is an exciting young player who showed this year what he can produce when given the opportunity and we are keen to see him continue to learn and develop in our program.”
Rhys Stanley (L) is returning to Geelong on a new one-year deal. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
RELATED:
Carlton reject Geelong’s offer for Charlie Curnow
It also emerged on Thursday night that Geelong had offered three first-round picks to Carlton for super-star goal-kicker Curnow. But Blues GM Craig Davies has since stated it’s not enough to turn their heads.
“Importantly, the club’s position has been that we don’t want Charlie to be leaving Carlton,” Davies said on AFL Trade Radio. “So from that standpoint that’s the first thing we should all be aware of here.
“The second part of this conversation is understanding what three first-round picks might actually look like. For Geelong, those three picks are effectively going to be picks in the 20s. If that’s what the offer ends up being – notwithstanding the fact we don’t want Charlie to go no matter what – I’m not sure that anyone would think that’s a reasonable deal for who Charlie Curnow is.”