A disconnect between captain and coach over his role is believed to be at the heart of North Melbourne skipper Jy Simpkin exploring his options ahead of the upcoming trade period, and there's one stat that tells all.
On Tuesday, Seven's Mitch Cleary and Xander McGuire revealed that Simpkin had been "sounding out clubs" to see the market for the Roos' captain, should he pursue a move away from Arden Street.
According to McGuire, Simpkin's reduced midfield minutes is believed to be the primary reason for Simpkin considering his future.
Simpkin has discussed his frustrations with being played out of position with those around him.
— Xander McGuire (@XanderMcGuire7) September 16, 2025
With four years left on a deal believed to be worth an average of around $1m a year, clubs will have to make a significant sacrifice to land the Roos skipper. @7AFL @7NewsMelbourne https://t.co/kxtCjC52r5
Since Clarkson took over as senior coach, Simpkin has seen a consistent decline in time spent in the middle.
MORE: AFL trade news, rumours: Melbourne makes strong push for Collingwood spearhead
In the two years prior to Clarkson's arrival - 2021 and 2022, Simpkin's two best-and-fairest years - Simpkin was the main man in the guts for the Roos, attending 78.9 per cent and 83.4 per cent of centres bounces respectively.
But since 'Clarko' took the reins, Simpkin's midfield minutes have gradually dwindled. In 2023, he attended just 60.2 per cent of centre bounces, before just 52.6 per cent a year later.
In 2025, his attendance plummeted to just 33.7 per cent, placing him behind other on-ballers such as Luke Davies-Uniacke, Luke Parker, George Wardlaw, Tom Powell and Harry Sheezel.
Despite this, Simpkin still polled fifth in the Roos' best-and-fairest count last week.
But the recent development means he could be the third captain on the move in the upcoming trade period.
West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen is already set to join Brisbane as a free agent, while Essendon skipper Zach Merrett currently looks bound for Hawthorn.