North Melbourne’s Zane Duursma, the highly rated No.4 pick from the 2023 draft, is attracting interest from rival clubs after an uneven beginning to his AFL career.
The 19-year-old managed just 10 senior appearances this year, three of those as the substitute, and remains contracted at Arden Street until the end of 2025.
AFL Media’s Cal Twomey described the situation as “a fascinating watch”, pointing to “frustration” in the Duursma camp but warning that North is unlikely to move him on so early in his development.
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“I don’t see North Melbourne being open at all to moving Zane Duursma ... but he’s a young player who’s been dropped, sub, in, out — inconsistently in the side,” Twomey said on Gettable.
“So, clubs are aware of that frustration and are looking at what it would take to drag him out of there — whether that would offer something this year to make the Roos look at it. I still think the inclination at North Melbourne would be ‘let’s back it in and get this guy to show the talent that we know he’s got.
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“The one I’d be keeping an eye on is clearly the Bombers, given the obvious link with Xavier, and they lack that class and polish. But in the end, it’s going to be hard to see a player who’s a top-four pick move two years after he was picked at that spot.”
With his brother Xavier already at Essendon and younger sibling Willem touted as a top draft prospect this year, the Duursma name continues to hold weight across the competition, and the spotlight on Zane shows no sign of dimming.