New North Melbourne General Manager of Football Todd Viney has declared veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein a required player for 2023.
Goldstein is out of contract and reportedly weighing up whether he wants to stay with the developing side, but the additions of Alastair Clarkson and Viney changes the equation.
Viney said he wants the 34-year-old to play his 300th game in the blue and white.
“I think he is (a required player). He’s been an amazing servant, I think he’s on 295 games,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“We’ve got some young rucks developing underneath him so there’s youth coming through, but Goldy has been a marvellous servant and one of the best ruckmen in the competition.
“Age eventually catches up with you at some point, but when we were looking at his form late in the year we thought he was contributing and still at that level with a young midfield.
“That experience is hard to come by so at this stage our conversations with him are that he’s a required player and we hope he gets his 300th game and helps us develop some of those younger rucks beneath him.”
Cam Zurhaar is among the key out of contract players at the Roos and Viney hopes to pitch the club’s new direction to the dynamic forward.
“It’s getting to that pointy end of the season with the draft and the trade period coming up and we need to look at our list and work out how to improve it,” Viney said.
“We need to have those conversations, pitch where we think we’re going, how we’d like to do it, particularly to those guys that are out of contract to get a feel for what they’re thinking.
“It’s been a tough time for them we understand that, but to talk to them about our vision and what we like to put in place, it’s going to be pretty exciting.
“We hope to commit those good players because they’re important to us going forward.”
Incoming Kangaroos coach Clarkson is believed to be showing interest in St Kilda pair Brad Hill and Ben Long and West Coast forward Junior Rioli.