Northern Knights

The Northern Knights are an Australian rules football club playing in the NAB League, an under-19 competition in Victoria, Australia. We are based in Preston, representing the northern suburban area of Melbourne. The Knights are one of the six original clubs set up as part of a plan by the AFL to replace the traditional club zones with independent junior clubs. This was to help aid in player development and the process of the AFL draft, which allows U18 players the opportunity to be selected by AFL clubs. Northern Knights have had many of their players drafted into the AFL, including the first two selections in the 2007 AFL Draft, Matthew Kreuzer and Trent Cotchin, and the fifth selection in the 2008 AFL Draft, Michael Hurley. Previously drafted players include Anthony Rocca, Brent Harvey, Lance Whitnall, Brent Stanton, Heath Shaw, Marcus Bontempelli and David Zaharakis. In 2016, the Club established a team in the inaugural NAB League (formerly TAC Cup) Girls competition, aimed at providing the best U18 junior female footballers an opportunity to participate in high level football and deliver an outlet to be drafted to the newly created AFLW. The Northern Knights have won four TAC Cup Premierships since the club’s inception in 1992.