Nick Blakey Trade Gets North Melbourne Backing Amid Hotel Probe
Has apologised for his involvement in the Pullman Hotel scandal after completing a move from Sydney to North Melbourne. Kangaroos list boss Brady Rawlings said…
Nick Blakey has apologised for his involvement in the Pullman Hotel scandal after completing a move from Sydney to North Melbourne, putting the trade and an ongoing police investigation in the same spotlight. The Kangaroos said they were comfortable with the process behind the deal.
North Melbourne’s trade for Blakey was its first deal of the day, according to ABC News. The live blog also reported the club later traded Zane Duursma to Melbourne.
Blakey was one of five Sydney players who served a club-imposed ban through the AFL finals for breaching the Swans’ behavioural standards at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne, ESPN reported. The players’ punishment was separate from an ongoing Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the hotel. No charges have been laid, and AAP is not suggesting any wrongdoing.
The distinction matters: the club ban concerned Sydney’s behavioural standards, while police are investigating an allegation. The available reports do not say that Blakey was accused of sexual assault or that he faces charges.
Nick Blakey trade draws board support
Brady Rawlings, North Melbourne’s list boss, said the club had backed the move after working through its decision with the board.
“It's huge for our club to get a player of Nick's calibre,” Rawlings said. He described Blakey as a strong fit for a defence the club wanted to improve.
Rawlings said the family connection also mattered: Blakey had previously come to train at North Melbourne as a father-son. He added that the club had been working on the decision with its board for some time.
“I'm very comfortable with the process we went through to be able to put a contract in front of Nick,” Rawlings said. “We've been working through this with the board for some time and they've been very supportive.”
Questions about Blakey’s departure from Sydney also surfaced during the trade discussion. Rawlings declined to give his account of the player’s reasons for leaving, saying those reasons had been alluded to in media reports. He said Blakey had loved his time at Sydney and his teammates, and called North Melbourne a fresh opportunity.
ESPN had earlier reported that Blakey nominated North Melbourne as his preferred destination after meeting with Geelong, St Kilda and Gold Coast. It also reported that the Kangaroos made an offer worth more than $11 million and that Blakey had toured Arden Street and completed a medical on Friday.
The trade required agreement with Sydney, which still held the player’s contract. Before the deal was completed, Sydney list boss Chris Keane had said brokering a move would be “significantly challenging”, according to ESPN.
ABC News reported that North Melbourne sent Sydney multiple first-round picks in the deal. The reports provided no fuller breakdown of the final trade terms.
For North Melbourne, the immediate significance is on the field: Rawlings said the club wanted to strengthen its defence and viewed Blakey as the right fit. The move also brings renewed attention to the club’s handling of a player connected to an incident that remains under police investigation, even as no charges have been laid.
Rawlings said Blakey “clearly loved his time there [in Sydney] and loves his teammates. This is a fresh opportunity for him.”
Source: abc.net.au
