Oscar Junker Biography

Billy Hartung, Tom Jeffries, Oscar Junker, Gordon Narrier, Daniel Nielson, and Josh Williams are told by North Melbourne that they won't be offered new contracts for 2019 and beyond.

North Melbourne has shown its faith in midfielder Oscar Junker, offering the first-year rookie a new one-year contract despite his injury-ravaged first season.

The former Western Jets co-captain's return date remains indefinite, but he received some good news recently when North approached him about re-signing for 2018.

"I was a bit worried earlier on about where I was at, but I got a message from my manager saying he'd spoken to the club and they were keen to do the deal nice and early to make sure I didn't feel like I was being left in the dark. It was a really great gesture by North to do that," Junker said.

"I'm super happy that the club has the faith in me to continue my career here. It's been awesome."

At 193cm and 84kg, he was always going to need time to get his body ready for AFL football, but North was impressed by his pre-season before his injury.

"Unfortunately we haven't seen a lot of Oscar because of his injury, but from what we have seen and know of him, we didn't hesitate in offering him a new one-year deal as a rookie," North football manager Cameron Joyce said.

Oscar Junker will be sidelined for up to four months after breaking his tibia.

Junker suffered the injury during North's practice match against Werribee after landing awkwardly.

It was initially thought the 19-year-old had injured his ankle, but scans revealed the leg fracture.

Junker had been enjoying a solid first pre-season at Arden Street, but is now not expected to return to the field until round seven or eight.

North Melbourne select Oscar Junker with pick No.28 in the 2016 Rookie Draft.

“Oscar’s a boy from the Western Jets who has actually been training with Werribee, our VFL affiliate in the lead-up to the Rookie Draft. He’s a really good size at 192 centimetres and has played in all areas across the ground," North Melbourne recruiting manager Bryce Lewis said.

“He reads the ball really well, is a very good intercept mark and has a penetrating left-foot kick.

“He had some injury disruption so he didn’t get a lot of exposure at national level, but finished off the year really strongly with the Western Jets.

“As the co-captain of the Jets, he’s highly regarded for his character and leadership and you see that in the way he goes about it on the field.”