Former No.1 draft pick Bryce Gibbs has defended Jason Horne-Francis' character following the talented teenager's bombshell request to leave North Melbourne.
Horne-Francis is intent on returning to his home state of South Australia to play with Port Adelaide next year, after just one season at Arden Street.
The contracted 19-year-old has come under fire for wanting out of Victoria after being selected by the Kangaroos with the top pick in the 2021 draft.
But former Carlton and Adelaide star Gibbs, who played with Horne-Francis at South Adelaide in the SANFL before the youngster's ascension to the top-flight, believes the teenage midfielder is being unfairly criticised.
"Some guys can hop up and leave and go do it ... in other cases, kids don't get to experience that before they're drafted, and it affects everyone differently," Gibbs told SEN SA on Wednesday.
"It's been well documented and well publicised that he is close to his family and he's had a little bit of homesickness throughout the year.
"But to question his character and things around that space, I don't agree with that."
The midfielder's work ethic and attitude while at North has come under question, and he was even dropped for one game after refusing to complete a recovery session as directed.
Horne-Francis, who was taken as a No.1 draft pick 15 years after Gibbs, has also clashed with teammates on the field.
North won just two games this year to collect a second-straight wooden spoon, with David Noble sacked as coach.
"Some of that has turned into frustration because of how competitive he is as a person and his winning mentality," Gibbs said.
"Some of the performances that North Melbourne put in during this year in some of the games were pretty deplorable."
In better news for North, Fremantle pair Griffin Logue and Darcy Tucker were traded to the Kangaroos on Wednesday.
Versatile tall Logue is coming off his most productive season in the AFL but the former No.8 draft pick chose to leave the Dockers after North offered him a lucrative deal.
Tucker was also offered better opportunities with the Kangaroos after 108 games at Fremantle.
"Griffin and Darcy are a fantastic fit for our club and we are really pleased to have finalised this deal early in the trade period," North Melbourne's list boss Brady Rawlings said.
"On-field they both provide great versatility, skill and football maturity.
"Off-field they are young guys of high character and are eager to contribute to making our club better."
Meanwhile, Western Bulldogs premiership player Zaine Cordy has finalised his move to St Kilda.
The Saints have signed the 25-year-old, who made his AFL debut in 2015 and played 118 games for the Bulldogs, as an unrestricted free agent.
The key defender played in the Bulldogs' drought-breaking 2016 premiership, with the grand final being his 11th AFL game.
The Bulldogs, who have brought in veteran defender Liam Jones after he opted to retire ahead of the 2022 season rather than comply with the AFL's vaccination policy, will not receive any compensation for losing Cordy.
