Brady Rawlings Biography

New Kangaroos football boss Brady Rawlings says his decision to break his contract with West Coast came down to doing what was best for his family.

"The decision for me to come back was somewhat easy, because of the opportunity. This is my club," Rawlings said.

"That was a really exciting opportunity for me but the relationships I had at West Coast did make it somewhat difficult. Obviously, when you go over with the coach and he felt like there was unfinished business there, that was a pretty hard conversation to have.

"I needed to do what was best for my footy club here and for me and my family, and that was to come back to North."

Jade Rawlings will exit a contract with Melbourne to take the senior assistant coach role at North Melbourne under head coach Rhyce Shaw.

Rawlings will also report to younger brother Brady Rawlings, who from December will assume duties as North Melbourne's general manager of football.

Brady Rawlings leaves West Coast as their list manager, but won't commence in his new role at North Melbourne until after this year's NAB AFL Trade Period and drafts.

The Eagles have confirmed Rawlings will return to Arden St, where he is set to take over from Cameron Joyce as football manager.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson is bracing for the prospect of list manager Brady Rawliings returning to North Melbourne.

The Kangaroos have reportedly targeted Rawlings to replace Cameron Joyce as football manager and Eagles coach Adam Simpson confirmed his former North teammate was in talks for a return to Arden Street.

"I'm not sure what the current status is but I know that he's been approached by North and they're working through that at the moment," Simpson said.

"It would be really disappointing to see him go. He's one of my best friends and has done a great job for our club."

West Coast assistant coach Brady Rawlings has taken over as the Eagles' new list manager as part of a restructure of the club's football department.

"Before coming to Perth to support Adam and the other coaches, I was involved in recruiting at North Melbourne and that is where my passion lies," Rawlings said.

"I look forward to working with the recruiting team, coaches and senior football staff as we work towards building a list that can achieve sustained success and, ultimately, the club’s fourth premiership."

Gaff is set to play his 100th game this week against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. It will also be his 94th consecutive match, the best active streak in the League following Drew Petrie's suspension this week.

The 23-year-old is in the form of his life. He's averaging 29 disposals this year and sits equal third behind Nat Fyfe and Dan Hannebery in the AFL Coaches' Association award after 15 rounds.

Eagles coach Adam Simpson said last week that Gaff was almost impossible to tag right now.

Gaff credited Eagles assistant coach Brady Rawlings with teaching him how to work through any attention he receives from opposition midifelders.

"Playing as a tagger himself, he's given me a lot of feedback and a lot of advice to cope around that stuff," Gaff said.

"Because no doubt in my first couple of years I struggled to get over it and it was tough to get around."

Brady Rawlings says his immense respect for West Coast coach Adam Simpson led him to leaving his role at North Melbourne to take up an assistant coaching role at West Coast.

"It's not too often when someone you respect so highly, and you've got a great relationship with, gets a senior coaching job," Rawlings said.

"I thought it was too good an opportunity not to take. To be involved with Simmo, going on this ride was something that was enough for me to leave the club I love and move my family over to the western side of the country as well."

Brady Rawlings joins West Coast as an assistant coach after serving as North Melbourne's senior recruiter and induction coach for the past two years.

Rawlings will reunite with former teammate Adam Simpson whom he played with at the Kangaroos.

"The role as assistant coach to 'Simmo' at the Eagles is a great opportunity and a challenge that I feel I am ready for," Rawlings said.

"I've always thought Adam was a senior coach in the making and I'm looking forward to working under someone I respect so highly.

"I would like to sincerely thank everyone at North for their support and for the understanding that has been extended to me throughout this process and decision."

After 12 seasons and 245 games, North Melbourne veteran Brady Rawlings finishes his career with a win over Richmond in Round 24 of 2011.

"He's been an inspiration to young players on how he has approached his football," Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said.

"He's a player that sets a great example, along with Brent Harvey, as to the way footballers should prepare themselves to play in this competition."

Two-time premiership coach Denis Pagan says Brady Rawlings retires as one of North Melbourne's best ever.

"He's a three-time best and fairest winner and if you think that's a mild achievement, go and have a look at the North Melbourne honour board and see how many have won three best and fairests," Pagan said.

"He's up there with the elite of the elite. He's been a wonderful role model for everybody and displayed great leadership skills. And I don't think anyone could have contributed more to North Melbourne than Brady has."

Brady Rawlings retires from football and North Melbourne coach Brad Scott reveals that it was Rawlings who approached him to inform the coach of his decision.

"He felt his best might be behind him and, in the next sentence, it was 'I think we should get another young player in the side'. It's very rare to find players with that attitude," Scott said.

"Brady could play next year. I've got no doubt he could play on, but he doesn't want to finish up playing in the VFL and he doesn't want to deny a young bloke an opportunity to play."

Leigh Matthews launches a scathing attack on the work ethic of young Docker Stephen Hill while being tagged by Kangaroo Brady Rawlings.

"Confronted with Rawlings as his direct opponent, it appeared that Hill fell for the trap of wanting to get space from his opponent, even when the Kangaroos had the footy," Matthews wrote in his column on the AFL website.

"The result was the most lopsided differential in contribution that I can recall seeing in a one-on-one duel - Rawlings stopped Hill, limiting the Dockers' linkman to a paltry seven disposals, a great result even if Rawlings did not touch the footy.

"That the Kangaroos vice-captain accumulated a game-high 39 disposals, including 30 uncontested gets, was a savage indictment on Hill's competitive mindset."

North Melbourne's Brady Rawlings has signed a new deal with the Kangaroos but wants to stay on one-year contracts for the rest of his career.

"I didn't want to be in a position where they wanted to move on to play younger guys," he said.

"I wanted to make sure that was clear before I talked any contracts. I think it's probably the right move from the club's perspective and from mine that from now on is a year-by-year scenario. I'm more than comfortable with that."

Roo veteran Brady Rawlings says Jack Ziebell is the most impressive young player he has seen in 10 years.

"I think the most impressive thing about Ziebs is you know that whatever is thrust at him is not going to go to his head," Rawlings said.

"He's just a very level-headed kid. He's not cocky at all, where some kids could be like that when they've done what he's done so far this year.

"He's the exact opposite and a good person to have at your footy club."

Brady Rawlings dismisses suggestions the Kangaroos are fading in 2009 with North Melbourne sitting near the bottom in 13th place after 6 rounds.

"I disagree totally. We're one game off fourth spot," Rawlings said.

"It's such an early time of the season and it's such an even competition; you win the next couple of games and you're right back in it."

Hamish McIntosh, Brady Rawlings, Michael Firrito, Corey Jones and Daniel Pratt sign contract extensions with North Melbourne.

"We see it as an endorsement of what the club has been achieving over the last six months," chief executive Eugene Arocca said.

"Players who want to play at North Melbourne stay at North Melbourne and history has generally been that this is a great place to be. It's a unique club."

Kangaroos pair Daniel Pratt and Brady Rawlings question Hawthorn's hardness at the ball after Hawk Jordan Lewis is suspended for a match for punching Pratt in the stomach.

Pratt was called "extremely soft" and "pathetic" by Lewis' teammate Campbell Brown for collapsing to the ground after the alleged punch by Lewis.

"If you're going to be hard at the footy and put your head over the ball, that's what being tough is," Pratt said in response to Brown's comments.

Rawlings concurred with Pratt's assessment.

"Hardness is really about when the ball is in play and putting your head over the ball," Rawlings said.

"They probably had a couple of undisciplined things off the ball, so I don't think that's anything to do with toughness."