LUKE Delaney was selected at pick No. 25 in the 2009 Rookie Draft by North Melbourne, arriving at the club as a 19-year-old key defender from the Geelong Falcons.

At 194cms and 97kgs, Delaney impressed in his first year at the club, playing as a tall back for Werribee in the VFL before a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely.

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He switched from Werribee to North Ballarat in the off-season, and the move paid dividends in 2010 as the Roosters’ won the flag with Delaney a vital part in the premiership team.

He began the year well, before a wrist injury temporarily halted his progress in the middle of the season, but the full-back returned in time for September glory and continued his development as a lockdown defender.

Yet a senior call-up remained elusive, with Nathan Grima, Michael Firrito and Scott Thompson all performing well for North Melbourne on a consistent basis.

At the beginning of the 2011 season, Luke’s younger brother Cameron joined the Kangaroos after North selected him at pick No. 69 in the AFL National Draft. The junior Delaney is also a key defender and is exactly the same height as his older sibling, but has a lighter frame.

2011 was an exciting season for Luke Delaney, who forced his way onto the senior list ahead of the Kangaroos round nine clash with Brisbane when Nathan Grima was ruled out with a broken finger.

He was immediately thrown into the deep end on debut, manning Jonathan Brown in North Melbourne’s 14-point defeat at the Gabba. While Brown booted four goals, Delaney won numerous on-one-one contests and proved he could match it with the best.

He subsequently played eight of North’s next nine games, before he was omitted ahead of round 18 and didn’t regain his senior spot for the remainder of the year.

At the end of the season, Delaney underwent shoulder surgery and looked set for another year of rapid development in 2012.

He ended up playing 13 games for the season, but largely relied on injuries to Grima and Thompson for a senior birth.

He played an integral role on Tom Hawkins in round three, and collected a career-high 20 disposals against GWS in round 23 before he was left out of North Melbourne’s elimination final side that ultimately went down to West Coast by 96 points in Perth.

This year senior opportunities proved hard to come by for the strong-bodied key position player.

Delaney didn’t pull on the blue and white stripes until round 19 and finished the season with five matches to take his career tally to a total of 26 games across three seasons on the senior list.

While his form remained good in the VFL, North Melbourne’s wealth of key defenders proved to be a sticking point for the talented 24-year-old.

In October, Delaney expressed his desire to move to St Kilda. In the last week of trade period, a deal was struck between the two clubs as the Saints exchanged selection No. 77 for Delaney, who arrives at Linen House Centre in search of more senior opportunities and a fresh start.

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32