Swans’ flag hopes take hit as concerning list hole grows
Nick Blakey has received his trade wish and has joined North Melbourne for a steep price, signalling potentially new eras at both clubs.
The Roos handed over picks No.6 and No.47, as well as their first round pick in 2028 and second round picks in 2027 and 2028 for Blakey, pick No.52 and Sydney’s 2028 second round pick.
Star defender Nick Blakey got his wish to get out of Sydney. Getty Images
The star defender’s relationship with the club reportedly fell apart amid the fallout of the Pullman Five scandal and his subsequent suspension.
An active police investigation into alleged instances of sexual assault stemming from that August night continues.
The Swans suspended him, Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Riley Bice and James Jordon for the remainder of the season for the night of partying.
The players were suspended for the late night out, which breached club standards unrelated to the investigation.
Blakey was adamant he was not returning to Sydney, despite being contracted until 2031, and the Roos emerged as his team of choice.
He joins the side where his father, John Blakey, won two premierships in the 1990s and created his own legacy.
His departure puts Sydney in an awkward spot as they hope to extend their own premiership window.
Suddenly, they have lost Blakey, Callum Mills (torn ACL) and Harry Cunningham (Adelaide) from their defensive mix, with 35-year-old veteran Dane Rampe also yet to decide if he wants to play on in 2027.
Key forward Joel Amartey has left for Carlton as well, and the Swans are seemingly not in the market to add players in this trade period.
Young players stood up for them across finals and helped lead them to the cusp of a grand final, but the Swans have lost a lot of star power and depth, and that's before factoring in how Heeney and Warner will rebound.
Sydney went all-in on this premiership pursuit, trading three first round picks for key forward Charlie Curnow. That move has now been offset somewhat by the Blakey compensation, but it signalled their intent.
They never would have predicted 12 months later they would be here and now suddenly needing to rejig their best line-up so significantly, compounded by the injury to their captain Mills.
Sydney made grand finals in 2022 and 2024 and came agonisingly close in 2026, but may have to re-evaluate their hopes for 2027.
For North Melbourne, he could be the piece of the puzzle that signals their rise up the ladder.
The Roos have been stuck in the bottom four across the 2020s, but made inroads up the ladder in 2026 before a poor finish saw them miss out on Wildcard Round.
They made the shocking call to sack coach Alastair Clarkson and replace him with untried Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham, who has built a reputation as one of the game’s best tacticians.
North Melbourne now enters 2027 with Graham at the helm and Blakey as a completely unexpected new weapon at his disposal.
With the young talent they have accumulated over the 2020s, they will be hoping it catapults them into the top eight and mirrors Lachie Neale's arrival at Brisbane in 2019.
