One day after claiming he wouldn't comment publicly on trade targets, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has confirmed he hopes to "extract" Jack Viney out of Melbourne.
Viney is under contract until the end of next season, but media reports this week linked the Kangaroos to a play for the Demons' vice-captain.
Clarkson, who works closely with Viney's father and Kangaroos general manager of football Todd Viney, wants to lure the experienced midfielder to help guide North up the AFL ladder.
The Kangaroos sit 17th and are trying to avoid a third wooden spoon in four seasons, with games against the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn left to play.
Clarkson said he is also interested in chatting with Port Adelaide's Ollie Wines, Sydney duo Luke Parker and Dane Rampe, and GWS veteran Callan Ward.
"We want anyone that's going to help us in that space," Clarkson told SEN radio on Friday.
"There's half a dozen players that have been successful, that have had really strong careers and are really strong in their leadership.
"All the guys that we actually want are probably contracted because they're required for a reason.
"It's just, can you extract one (or) two of them out who feel like they're either not going to get the same opportunities as what they had before, or they feel like their club is going in a different direction?
"We're just hoping we can extract one or two of those. Jack (Viney) is part of that."
Viney turned his back on free agency in 2020 to sign his current five-year deal, after being drafted as a father-son pick in 2012.
A heart-and-soul midfielder for Melbourne, the 30-year-old has played 217 games for the Demons and co-captained the club with Nathan Jones from 2017 to 2019.
His father Todd is a former Melbourne captain and was named in the club's team of the century.
Clarkson's comments come after Melbourne this week tried to bat away trade speculation surrounding injured midfield stars Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca.
Demons coach Simon Goodwin guaranteed the pair will remain at the club next year, rejecting a Nine Network report claiming Petracca was "disgruntled" and "disillusioned".
Petracca is contracted until the end of 2029, while Oliver's deal runs until the end of 2030.
Fellow premiership player Alex Neal-Bullen will leave at the end of the season after requesting a trade home to South Australia for family reasons.
