North Melbourne duo Geordie Payne and Cooper Trembath will make their AFL debuts when the Kangaroos take on the GWS Giants in Canberra in Round 22.
Senior coach Alastair Clarkson revealed the news with an assist from VFL coach Tom Lynch during Friday morning's team meeting.
Payne, the top selection in the 2024 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, has earned his spot through outstanding form for North Melbourne in the VFL.
The Tasmanian forward has been a growing contributor at reserves level, kicking 10 goals in his past two games, including six against Sandringham last weekend.
Trembath was picked up from the club’s VFL program with the 10th overall selection in this year’s Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
The 19-year-old Blackburn product has shown rapid improvement under VFL coach Tom Lynch, becoming an impactful key position player at both ends of the ground.
Payne and Trembath join a growing list of players who have made their AFL debut for North Melbourne this season, including Finn O’Sullivan and Jacob Konstanty (Round 1), Matt Whitlock (Round 4), Finnbar Maley (Round 8), and Zac Banch (Round 19).
The full team for Sunday's Round 22 clash will be announced at 5pm AEST on Friday.
