North Melbourne AFLW captain Jasmine Garner said on Sunday, 18 October 2026, that the club's women's team holds “mixed emotions” over the Nick Blakey trade, contradicting an earlier claim from list boss Brady Rawlings that the club's leaders were “clearly comfortable” with the move.
Garner spoke after North Melbourne's win over Essendon in AFLW round 10, in her first public comments since the Kangaroos sent multiple draft picks to Sydney last week for the 26-year-old defender, who remains the subject of a pending Victoria Police investigation into an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne. No charges have been laid and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Blakey.
What Garner said about the Blakey trade
“Obviously decision's being made (to recruit Blakey), and it's probably a decision that's brought on a bit of mixed emotions,” Garner said, according to The Age.
“It's something we're working through as a group, and for us, we're really backing in the leadership of Jen and Sonja,” she said, referring to chief executive Jen Watt and president Dr Sonja Hood.
Garner repeated the point when pressed: “It's probably one that we're still probably working through but we were spoken to and at the end of the day I think we're backing in Jen and Sonja.”
Rawlings' earlier claims come under scrutiny
The comments expose a gap between the club's public messaging and the mood inside its AFLW program. At a press conference after the trade, Rawlings said he was not in a meeting where the deal was raised with North's AFLW leaders.
“But clearly we've got Nick in through the door … so clearly our leaders are comfortable (with) everything that's going on,” he added.
Rawlings also declined to detail what assurances, if any, Blakey gave the club about his conduct. “What I speak with Nick is between me and him,” he told reporters.
According to Zero Hanger, Hood and Watt addressed players on the Friday before the trade was completed.
Why the Blakey deal is sensitive for North Melbourne
The Kangaroos stand apart in the AFL. They are one of the few clubs with a female president and a female chief executive, and their AFLW program has won two premierships and built a reputation as a powerhouse.
The club has also acted firmly on player conduct before. North Melbourne sacked men's player Tarryn Thomas in 2024 after a league ban for inappropriate behaviour towards women, a decision that drew credit from advocates at the time.
Blakey was one of five Sydney players who served a club-imposed ban through the AFL finals for breaching the Swans' behavioural standards at the Pullman Hotel. That punishment was separate from the police investigation, and no findings have been made against him.
Blakey apologises and thanks North for a fresh start
Blakey, who played 173 games for Sydney after joining as an academy product with pick No.10 in the 2018 draft, issued his first public statement since the scandal through North Melbourne.
“I want to say that I'm sorry for the events that led up to my exit from Sydney,” Blakey said, according to 7NEWS.com.au.
“I know I have to win back the trust of the broader community, football and otherwise. Now I have the opportunity to move forward and I want to thank North Melbourne for helping me find a fresh start.”
Blakey had five years remaining on his Swans deal but requested a trade after his relationship with the club fractured. He met with Geelong, St Kilda and Gold Coast before accepting an eight-year offer from North worth more than $11 million.
He was eligible to join the Kangaroos as a father-son selection through his father John, who played 224 games for the club including the 1996 and 1999 premierships.
What the trade means for the club's future
On the field, the acquisition is a rare win for a club that has struggled to attract marquee talent. North previously failed in pursuits of Dustin Martin, Jordan De Goey and Isaac Heeney.
“It's been well documented for many years we've probably struggled to get a player of this calibre through,” Rawlings said. “Hopefully it opens the doors for many more signings in future years.”
The deal is a statement of intent from new coach Jaymie Graham as the men's program rebuilds. But Garner's comments show the club now faces a harder question off the field: whether its stated commitment to a unified, respectful culture can survive a trade that its own women's team is still, in the captain's words, working through.
North's AFLW side, chasing a third premiership, has finals to focus on. “We've got a big few weeks to play, so we also want to focus on that and our performance,” Garner said.
FAQ
What did Jasmine Garner say about the Nick Blakey trade?
Garner said on 18 October 2026 that the decision to recruit Blakey brought “a bit of mixed emotions” and that the AFLW group was still working through it, while backing the leadership of president Sonja Hood and CEO Jen Watt.
Is Nick Blakey facing charges?
No. Victoria Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Pullman Hotel in East Melbourne, but no charges have been laid and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Blakey.
Why did Nick Blakey leave Sydney?
Blakey had five years left on his Swans contract but requested a trade after his relationship with the club fractured. He accepted an eight-year, $11 million-plus offer from North Melbourne.