NORTH DEFENDER TACKLES RISE IN CONTRACT TALKS

NORTH Melbourne’s Ben McKay is set to secure a hefty pay rise after an excellent season, where he’s emerged as the club’s full back for the next decade.

Contract talks are underway with McKay after a season in which the 23-yearold has shown he can become the long-term replacement for the dependable Robbie Tarrant.

The Roos already have bucketloads of cap space and have Dom Tyson and Aaron Hall coming out of contract on lucrative three-season deals signed under Brad Scott’s reign.

So the Roos will be able to compensate McKay, confident he has been one of the finds of a year where their No. 13 draft pick Tom Powell, pictured, has also established himself as a star of the future.

Powell has averaged the second-most possessions of any 2021 draftee (18.9), averaging 78 ranking points and 6.5 contested possessions.

McKay played only four games in his first three years at the Roos before 11 games last year and then every contest so far this year.

The Roos have conceded 864 points this year – 81 points more than 17th-placed Hawthorn – but McKay has kept Ben Brown to two goals, Tom Hawkins to one major and Charlie Dixon to a single goal.

Josh Bruce (four goals) and Taylor Walker (three goals) have kicked multiple goals against him but he was hailed for attacking the ball from in front of Hawkins after early marking defeats.

His win-loss record in defensive one-on-one contests ranks 13th across the competition.

McKay’s brother Harry is a Coleman Medal contender who is set to command a massive salary over $800,000 a year, with talks to take place on his deal at the mid-season bye.

Ben McKay, who has separate management, is seen as a more low-key figure whose contract talks will progress more smoothly, in keeping with his role as a key position defender.

Rival clubs expect Harry McKay will stay at Carlton, but he will be keen to maximise his contract worth after 30.17 in eight games this year.

The Roos are enduring a winless season with an injury toll so severe the Roos’ VFL side recently fielded 16 players at one stage while players were being assessed by medicos on the sidelines.

The Roos are expected to take Sandringham forward and ruckman Jacob Edwards in the mid-season draft.