NORTH Melbourne has started what promises to be a savage list cull, with 11 players informed they won't be offered a contract for next season.
Leadership group members Jamie Macmillan and Jasper Pittard are among them, while Majak Daw's incredible comeback from serious injuries sustained two years ago looks over.
Ben Jacobs, Paul Ahern, Mason Wood, Sam Durdin, Marley Williams, Joel Crocker, Lachie Hosie and Tom Murphy round out the Kangaroos' delistings.
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Jacobs was set for a prominent finish in North's club champion award before suffering a "whiplash" incident in mid-2018, and hasn't played since round 16 that year as he still struggles from various symptoms.
The Kangaroos' football boss Brady Rawlings said they "left no stone unturned" in trying to solve Jacobs' medical riddle.
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"It's been a long and painstaking journey with an unfortunate premature ending to Ben's football career," Rawlings said.
"But our focus has always been on his long-term health and ensuring he could lead a normal life symptom free.
"While Ben still has a way to go before he's free of the symptoms he's endured; he's definitely on the right track and we'll continue to support him with his health and wellbeing, as he is a beloved member of our club."
Macmillan's 167 games were the most of any of those who didn't survive the list cull.
The last of them was in round 11 this year before he departed the club's Queensland hub to return to Victoria for the birth of his first child.
Daw became the first Sudanese-born athlete to play in the AFL and spent 11 seasons at Arden St after arriving as a raw prospect.
He enjoyed his finest season in 2018 – when he was shifted into defence and became an intercepting specialist – but he also suffered major hip and pelvic injuries in a fall in December that year.
Daw made a remarkable recovery from those injuries and played his first AFL game since then in round nine this season, but added only three more for a career total of 54.
Coach Rhyce Shaw described Daw's effort to return as "superhuman".
"How Majak was able to physically recover and mentally get himself back to playing elite level football will be the stuff of legend in the years to come," Shaw said.
"It's one of the more remarkable things I've seen in my time."
There are another eight Roos without a deal for next season.
In that group are Jed Anderson, Ben Brown, Taylor Garner, Kyron Hayden, Kayne Turner, Ed Vickers-Willis, Will Walker and Category B rookie Matt McGuinness.
