North will now keep a spot open to use at the mid-season rookie draft.

“These decisions are never easy to make,” North football department chief Brady Rawlings said.

“We thank Sam and Flynn for their time and dedication to the club and wish them luck in the future.”

“The club will retain a spot on the list, giving flexibility to participate in the mid-season draft.”

Appleby was delisted at the end of last season after 11 matches with Collingwood while Skinner endured a rough run with injuries during five years at the Lions in which he played three AFL games.

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Despite no longer training at Arden Street, Skinner and Appleby’s names both remained on an updated permission-to-train list issued to clubs by the AFL on Monday.

There were no new additions across the league’s 18 clubs, however the Bulldogs no longer have train-on players after signing Footscray VFL gun Anthony Scott last week.

After impressing in last week’s practice match against Carlton, former West Coast-listed player Alec Waterman remains on Essendon’s train-on list and is in the box seat to fill one of the Dons’ list openings.

WAFL star Nic Martin is no longer listed as a West Coast train-on player, with the Eagles still having fellow state league jet Will Collins and ex-Brisbane player Cedric Cox listed as training with the clubs.

Eleven of the league’s 18 clubs have list vacancies. Collingwood, Essendon and Melbourne all have two, while Adelaide, Carlton, Hawthorn, North, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda and Sydney have one each. The Dees’ allotment does not, however, include a spot likely made available by the serious knee injuries suffered by unlucky South Australian backman Aaron Nietschke.