Why LDU remained a Roo despite strongly considering rival offer

Luke Davies-Uniacke has revealed the secret behind his decision to remain loyal North Melbourne despite an appealing offer last year.

After starring in the 14-point win over Essendon on Sunday with 25 disposals, 11 tackles, 10 clearances, nine score involvements and one goal, the 27-year-old spoke of his desire to remain a Roo.

'LDU' opted against free agency in April last year when he put pen to paper on a seven-year deal amid interest from rival clubs, including St Kilda.

“There was one offer that I really strongly considered, but when we started playing good footy, and the belief came, along with the rest of the group signing on long term – I knew I was going to hang around,” he said on SEN’s Fireball.

"My colours are blue and white and I am happy with that decision, and I really believe that we’re going somewhere.”

Davies-Uniacke’s Roos have now tallied three wins in a row, taking down West Coast, Richmond and the Bombers to climb to ninth spot, putting themselves in contention to secure a wildcard position in 2026.

The midfielder has not witnessed a three-game win streak since 2019, last contributing to a winning three-peat in his 16th game as a 20-year-old.

“It is the first time in my career where I have been in this position. The feelings and vibes are awesome around the club - we’re super excited for what the back half of the season could look like," said Davies-Uniacke.

“There’s a number of different things about the group this year, but it really comes down to game plan, roles and responsibilities, and really nailing our individuals’ roles.

"There’s still a bit of a gap between our best and our worst. We’ve had two really bad losses, but we’ve been competitive in most of our games, and we’re sitting in a nice spot now.

"We train at a really high level. All the boys are engaged and wanting to learn so Clarko and all the assistant coaches have got us on the right track. We’ve done the hard work, but we know there’s some challenging games ahead.

"I think we noted at the start of the year that we wanted to play finals. If we weren’t striving for that then what’s the point of playing?”

The Roos are now in the position to fight to stay in wildcard contention, facing 15th placed Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday evening.