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Sydney Stack earns new deal at Tigerland

Justin ChadwickAAP
Defender Sydney Stack has secured a one-year AFL contract extension with Richmond.
Camera IconDefender Sydney Stack has secured a one-year AFL contract extension with Richmond. Credit: AAP

Richmond defender Sydney Stack has signed a one-season contract extension after winning back the trust of his teammates and coaches.

But North Melbourne have made the surprise decision to delist veteran defender Shaun Atley.

Stack's AFL career was at the crossroads late last year after he spent the Christmas holidays in a Perth prison for breaching Western Australia's strict COVID-19 quarantine laws.

That incident came hot on the heels of Stack copping a 10-week ban after breaching the AFL's return-to-play protocols on the Gold Coast during the 2020 season.

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The boozy night out featured a trip to a Gold Coast strip club and ended with a fight outside a kebab shop.

Stack vowed to win back the trust of the club following his stint in a Perth prison, and he made a successful AFL return in round 17 this year.

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The 21-year-old played the final seven matches of the season, with the highlight being his 25-disposal, 10-mark effort in the round-20 loss to Fremantle.

The Tigers also re-signed 198cm utility Ben Miller for 2022.

The news wasn't so good for Atley and West Coast's Jarrod Brander.

Atley has played 234 AFL games since making his debut in 2011, and the defender missed just 11 games across his 11 seasons.

But with the Kangaroos undergoing their biggest rebuild in club history, the 29-year-old was cut loose along with Trent Dumont, Tom Campbell and Charlie Ham.

"You couldn't get a more committed and popular club man than Shaun," North football manager Brady Rawlings said.

"He would always put team success above his own ambitions, even though he's been a great player for us in his own right."

Brander was West Coast's most recent first-round draft pick after being taken with pick No.13 in 2017, and there were high hopes the 196cm big man would eventually flourish into a star forward.

But with Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, and Oscar Allen occupying the key forward spots, Brander was played largely out of position during his 22 games over four seasons, including stints in the midfield and on the wing.

Brander will now explore his options as a delisted free agent.

Melbourne have re-signed premiership defender Michael Hibberd on a one-year deal, meaning all 23 members of their flag-winning side are locked in for 2022.

But defender Marty Hore and mid-season draftee Kye Declase have been delisted.

Meanwhile, Collingwood have traded pick No.27 in this year's draft to Richmond in exchange for picks No.38, 40, and a future third-round selection.

Brisbane also delisted Tom Joyce and Brock Smith, as well as rookie-listed player Connor Ballenden.

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