Norwood coach Jade Rawlings says he has caught up with former North Melbourne midfielder Trent Dumont.
The South Australian was not offered a new contract by the Roos after eight years and 113 games in royal blue and white.
Dumont was drafted from The Parade at No. 30 in 2013, having just featured in the Redlegs’ second consecutive SANFL Grand Final win.
Rawlings was an assistant at Arden Street in 2020, having been poached from Melbourne, but was let go at the end of the season.
“I’ve spoken to him,” Rawlings confirmed to SEN SA Breakfast.
“I had a good relationship with Trent in my previous life at the Kangas.
“My extension of support was more ‘well done’ on what he did at North Melbourne, with a little comment about the Redlegs on the end of it!”
Rawlings said it can be difficult to lock in players at state level while their window to find another opportunity at the elite level remains open.
“It’s a delicate time, we 100 per cent appreciate their lives and their minds are still with the AFL,” he explained.
“With the delisted free agency period, once that closes I think the clarity for a fair few guys will be stronger, and they’ll know what their next move is.
“Dumont’s a ripper fella, and he’s a passionate Norwood man from Golden Grove originally.
“If he did land in South Australia, we’d like to think we’d be front and square.”
While he would be thrilled to reunite with his former charge, Rawlings believes the 26-year-old is too good to be running around in a state league next season.
“I think he’s good enough to play AFL, still,” he went on.
“Timing is everything. He was a really highly-regarded, respected player up to the point I was at the club, which was only 12 months ago.
“Things can change quickly with changes of management, changes of coaching structure and to have multiple calf injuries.
“All of a sudden you go from being a potential free agent and looking at how many zeroes you can have on your contract to being delisted.
“I believe he’s good enough, he’s a good enough character, his conditioning is good enough, but once again it has got to be the right fit for the club and for him.”
The delisted free agency period will open on November 3.
