NORTH Melbourne has knocked back an audacious bid from Adelaide to snare the No.1 pick in this year's NAB AFL Draft and claim local gun Jason Horne-Francis.

AFL.com.au understands the Crows offered the Kangaroos their pick No.4 in this year as well as their two first-round selections in 2022 to move up the order to No.1 this year but North is set to hold firm.

A future second-rounder going back to Adelaide from North would also have been part of the proposed deal.

Adelaide secured a second first-rounder for next year via its mega four-way pick swap earlier this week which is tied to Melbourne's finishing position in 2022.

The Swans have been eyeing that selection as a way to get the Jordan Dawson deal done, however, the Crows approached the Roos about doing a deal for the pick.

But North's insistence on keeping the selection – Gold Coast has also been interested in moving up the board from pick No.3 – points to Horne-Francis joining the blue and white at November's national draft.

The South Adelaide teenager blitzed in his final game of the season with 24 disposals and 3.3 in the Panthers' preliminary final defeat to end his campaign at the senior level.

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Adelaide's big play to shift up the board was with the view to take the 18-year-old, who has been likened to Nat Fyfe with his aerial exploits and fearless approach.

It will be North Melbourne's first ever No.1 draft selection, with rivals now believing they are more unlikely to place a bid on Collingwood father-son Nick Daicos.