North Melbourne coach David Noble has urged the leaders of his embattled club to explore the possibility of gaining priority draft picks from the AFL.
The Kangaroos appear destined to claim the wooden spoon after an eight-match losing streak to start the season and an injury list which stands at 15 players.
It comes after a huge list cull at the end of a three-win 2020 campaign, which led to North bringing in 13 new players over the off-season.
Noble was part of Brisbane's football administration when the Queensland club successfully applied for a priority draft pick at the end of 2016, after years in the doldrums.
The Lions, who have played finals in 2019 and 2020, received an extra draft selection at the end of the first round.
"I'd love one, absolutely I'd love one," Noble said on Thursday. "Why wouldn't we? If we were in a situation where that mechanism can be activated, I'm all for it. If it helps us and we feel we're entitled to that mechanism being activated, absolutely."
North have won just three of their past 25 games heading into Saturday's clash with 17th-placed Hawthorn in Launceston.
But Noble said it was still "a bit early" to tell whether the Kangaroos deserved a priority pick.
"If you stopped it now, I'd go, 'Yeah, we do, we could do with a bit more help'," the first-year coach said. "The rest of the year will probably determine that, but we're certainly interested in talking to the AFL about a pick. It gives you flexibility.
"Within the strategy of your list management you either bring additional talent in or you've got flexibility to manoeuvre your way through the trade period. You can also secure something and trade something forward into the future."