Why North Melbourne opted not to trade prized number one draft pick

North Melbourne coach David Noble says multiple offers for the club’s prized number one draft pick were never enticing enough to realistically consider.

Adelaide and Richmond attempted to prise the top pick in this year’s draft away from North Melbourne with deals tabled during the recently-completed trade period, which were both rejected.

Noble says that the club still has its sights firmly on gun South Australia mid/forward Jason Horne-Francis ahead of next month’s National Draft.

“From a business perspective, you have to listen (to offers for pick one),” he said on Sportsday.

“I think it’s just if it’s in the club’s interest to consider something (you look at it), but there wasn’t something compelling from those two clubs I’d have to say.

“There wasn’t anything extremely compelling to go ‘oh yeah, that’s something we need to take to the board to consider’.

“From a coach, (Jason Horne-Francis is) a fantastic player. If we don’t do any dealings between now and the draft, we’d love to consider him at the top end of the draft.”

North Melbourne has a strong draft hand as they look to bounce back from their first wooden spoon season since 1972, holding picks one and 20 as well as two picks in the 40s.

The club could consider alternative offers for pick one before the draft on November 24 and 25, with pick swaps allowed to take place in the lead up to draft night.