New North Melbourne defender Nick Blakey has broken his silence after the circumstances that led to his exit from Sydney.

Blakey wanted a fresh start at Arden St after he and four teammates were suspended for breaching club standards on the eve of the 2026 finals series.

There is a separate sexual assault allegation being investigated from the same night.

North Melbourne parted ways with pick 6 and 47 from this year’s draft as well as its 2027 second-round, 2028 first-round and 2028 second-round selections.

Sydney, in return, gave North Melbourne Blakey, pick 52 from this year’s draft and its 2028 second-round selection.

Blakey apologised to the “broader community” for what led to his Sydney departure and thanked North Melbourne for offering a fresh start.

“I want to say that I’m sorry for the events that led up to my exit from Sydney,” Blakey said.

“I know I have to win back the trust of the broader community, football and otherwise.

“Now I have the opportunity to move forward and I want to thank North Melbourne for helping me find a fresh start.

“I’m grateful I have landed at a place that has such deep connections to me and my family.

“There is so much potential in this group and I’m looking forward to getting to work to help take North Melbourne forward.”

Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, Chad Warner and Riley Bice released a joint statement in the days after the August incident.

But only Heeney spoke to media when the group arrived at Sydney for their exit meetings.

North Melbourne – which just signed Jaymie Graham as coach – had previously struggled to sign a competition superstar despite strong attempts for nearly a decade.

Nick’s father, John, played 359 AFL games, including 224 at North Melbourne.

In a separate trade, North Melbourne has sent Zane Duursma and pick 52 to Melbourne in exchange for pick 33 and 49.

Elsewhere, Lachie Whitfield has followed close friend Nick Haynes from GWS to Carlton.

The Blues have secured Whitfield, pick 31 and pick 50 in this draft, while the Giants have acquired pick 25, 26 and a 2028 third-round selection.

“Lachie is one of the premier ball users in the competition, and to add such a quality player to the side is a significant boost for our football club,” Carlton general manager Chris Davies said in part.

“What makes him so valuable is how he performs week after week, season after season.

“That kind of durability and consistency doesn’t happen by accident; we are welcoming a player who knows what it takes to perform consistently at AFL level, making his experience invaluable for our emerging talent.”

Originally published as AFL trade period: Sydney Swans defender Nick Blakey traded to North Melbourne