The Northern Knights are an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 club playing in the TAC Cup

TAC Cup

The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....

, an under-18 competition in Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. They are based in Preston

Preston, Victoria

Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...

, representing the northern suburban area of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

.

The Knights are one of the six original clubs set up as part of a plan by the AFL

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 to replace the traditional club zones with independent junior clubs. This was to help aid in player development and the process of the AFL draft

AFL Draft

The AFL Draft is the annual draft of new unsigned players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.-History:...

, which allows U18 players the opportunity to be selected by AFL clubs.

Northern Knights have had many of their players drafted into the AFL, including the first two selections in the 2007 AFL Draft

2007 AFL Draft

The 2007 AFL Draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2007/08 Australian Football League off-season. These were trade week, the National Draft, the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft.- Trades :...

, Matthew Kreuzer

Matthew Kreuzer

Matthew Kreuzer is an Australian rules footballer for the Carlton Football Club. He was selected with the first pick overall in the 2007 AFL National Draft....

 and Trent Cotchin

Trent Cotchin

Trent William Cotchin is an Australian rules football player who was recruited at pick 2 in the 2007 AFL Draft by the Richmond Football Club. He was recruited from the Northern Knights under 18 football club, which made the preliminary finals of the 2007 TAC Cup competition...

, and the fifth selection in the 2008 AFL Draft

2008 AFL Draft

The 2008 AFL Draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2008/09 Australian Football League off-season. These were Trade Week , the National Draft , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft...

, Michael Hurley

Michael Hurley (Australian rules footballer)

Michael Hurley is an Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League . A key position utility, 1.93m tall and weighing , Hurley predominately played in the forward and backline in his AFL career to date.-Junior career:A good junior cricketer and...

. Previously drafted players include Anthony Rocca

Anthony Rocca

Anthony Rocca is a former Australian rules footballer who has played with the Sydney Swans and Collingwood in the Australian Football League...

, Brent Harvey

Brent Harvey

Brent "Boomer" Harvey is an Australian rules footballer and the current captain of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

, Jack Grimes

Jack Grimes (Australian rules footballer)

Jack Grimes is a professional Australian rules footballer, playing for the Melbourne Football Club. He was named as an All-Australian at the 2007 NAB AFL U18 Championships. He was drafted by Melbourne in the 2007 National Draft at pick 14, but was placed on the long term injury list due to...

, Lance Whitnall

Lance Whitnall

Lance Whitnall is a former Australian rules footballer, and the ex-captain of the Carlton Football Club.-Early career :...

, Nick Stevens

Nick Stevens

Nick Stevens is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Originally from St Marys in the VMFL, Stevens was recruited in the 1997 AFL Draft to the Port Adelaide Football Club where he became a very prominent outside midfielder...

 and David Zaharakis

David Zaharakis

David Zaharakis is an Australian rules footballer for Essendon in the Australian Football League who is of Greek heritage.-Career:...

.