AFL Trade News: North Melbourne lock down key defender with one-year contract extension
North Melbourne have made a one-year contract extension of their star defender, Kallan Dawson. The AFL star has been having an incredible season with the club, and his contract is now extended until at least the end of the 2025 season.
North Melbourne confirmed the exciting news by sharing a post on their official X (formerly Twitter) account. Kallan Dawson joined North Melbourne in 2022 and has played in nine tournaments for the club over three seasons. He was the second pick in the mid-season draft in the 2022 season.
North Melbourne Head of Football Talent Brady Rawlings also shared his excitement about Kallan Dawson re-signing with the club. He released a statement expressing the club's enthusiasm for having the AFL star on the team.
He appreciated the 25-year-old's incredible season with North Melbourne and reflected on his excitement to have him on the team. Rawlings said (via NMFC):
"We’re excited to have Kallan recommit to the club for another season. He had a fantastic pre-season and made a solid start to the season with his defensive efforts and team-first attitude before being interrupted by injury.
"We look forward to welcoming him back into the side this weekend and watching him continue to develop and establish himself as an important part of our defence," he added.
However, North Melbourne have struggled this season and are still seeking their first win. They started the season with a defeat against Greater Western Sydney and last played against Port Adelaide, where they struggled and lost the match once again.
When will North Melbourne's Kallan Dawson play next?
Kallan Dawson played in a few games for North Melbourne earlier this season, but an ankle injury ahead of Round 5 forced him to stay away from the game. Dawson will finally return to play in North Melbourne's next match. The club will face West Coast in Perth on June 8.
While North Melbourne have been struggling this season, West Coast are enjoying a decent season. Although West Coast started the season with five consecutive defeats, they bounced back in the sixth round with a 105-68 win against Fremantle.
In Round 7, West Coast lost to Gold Coast, followed by another defeat against Essendon by six points. In Round 10, West Coast won against Melbourne but went on to lose to Adelaide in Round 11.