Leigh Harding Biography

Leigh Harding announces his retirement, saying that it's time for him step aside for some of the club's younger players.

"I feel like it's time to step aside and give the younger guys at the club some more opportunities," Harding said.

"It's up to them now to take the club forward and the last thing I wanted was to stand in their way and deny them the chance to develop."

Leigh Harding's superb transition from back line to midfield did not surprise his teammate Adam Simpson.

Simpson yesterday said he saw "glimpses" of midfield potential last year but primarily cited the round-20 match against Carlton, in which Harding booted three goals, as the first time he realised the 27-year-old was a genuine onballer-in-waiting.

"He had one particular game against Carlton when I think he kicked two or three on (Chris) Judd running through the middle, so (I thought) he had the potential to come up," said Simpson.

Adam Simpson believes players such as Leigh Harding and Hamish McIntosh will have heavy hands in shaping North Melbourne's season.

Leigh Harding has had a career that has gone back and forward, but suddenly it appears he has found good, middle ground.

The 27-year-old Kangaroo, with nine pre-seasons' work behind him to build an appropriate "engine", proved a star in his new role as a midfielder in North Melbourne's season-opener against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

North Melbourne will continue mixing up its structure after successfully experimenting with Leigh Harding and Michael Firrito in the midfield.

North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has vowed to continue with Leigh Harding and Michael Firrito in the midfield at the risk of exposing his backline.