North Melbourne coach Brad Scott did his best to sound upbeat this week, after hearing news that Josh Kelly had re-signed with GWS and, like Dustin Martin, rejected the Roos' advances, but it must be getting harder to put a positive spin on their recruiting efforts.
For the Kangaroos have made countless approaches to dozens of players over the past four seasons, and been spurned almost every time. They might be cashed up to the max, and we keep hearing about the club's 'warchest', but the Roos can't seem to attract any decent players of note to Arden St, free agents or otherwise (best-and-fairest winner Shaun Higgins being a rare exception.)
A list doing the rounds among key North insiders has 33 names on it, and they are the players from 13 clubs who the Kangas have chased - in vain - since 2013. The approaches range from inquiries to player managers to full-on, all-stops-out recruiting campaigns, as was the case with both Kelly and Martin.
The pressure now falls on the general manager of football, Cam Joyce, and his list manager, Michael McMahon, as the trade period hits full stride. If they can't negotiate deals to bring some high-end talent to the club, then the Roos might develop a nasty whiff about them - the club that is the polar opposite of a 'destination club'.
As one senior Kangaroos figure told ESPN this week: "They clearly need a Greg Miller or Ron Joseph there - someone who knows how to get a deal done, someone who finds a way to get their man, by hook or by crook."
While Scott conceded frustration with the constant rejections, he took a positive outlook on what it meant for North's future in the player movement landscape.
"We acknowledge we need to get some top-end talent to supplement what we have already got," Scott told SEN radio during the week. "Clearly we've been aggressive, if we fall short, clearly it's disappointing in the short term. (But) every time you miss out it just builds that war chest further."
A list of the Coodabeen Kangas, the 33 players North have missed out on since 2013, is below.
Adelaide: Eddie Betts, Rory Sloane, Harry Dear
Carlton: Sam Docherty
Collingwood: Adam Treloar, James Aish, Jeremy Howe, Steele Sidebottom
Essendon: Cale Hooker, David Zaharakis
Fremantle: David Mundy
Gold Coast: Jarrod Garlett, David Swallow
GWS: Lachie Whitfield, Jacob Hopper, Zac Williams, Ryan Griffen, Josh Kelly
Hawthorn: Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Jono O'Rourke
Port Adelaide: Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett
Richmond: Josh Caddy, Dustin Martin
St Kilda: Josh Bruce, Jake Carlisle
Sydney: Dan Hannebery, Isaac Heeney, Zak Jones, Jake Lloyd
Western Bulldogs: Jack Redpath, Jordan Roughead