NICK Dal Santo is still coming to terms with his axing from North Melbourne at the end of last season.

Along with fellow veterans Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie and Michael Firrito, Dal Santo was told by North ahead of the final home and away round that he would not be offered a contract for 2017.

Dal Santo told Fox Sports he still did not agree with the Kangaroos' decision, but bore no ill will towards the club.

"I do think about [the day I was told I would not be offered a new contract] and I'm still sort of going through that process in some ways," he said.

"It was a little bit of a shock and a bit sudden.

"But in saying that, I honestly have no hard feelings. I can completely understand why North Melbourne is heading in that direction.

"It doesn't mean that I agree with it and, to be brutally honest, I didn't agree with it at the time."

North was criticised for the timing of its announcement, with some commentators feeling the club should have delayed it until after its 2016 finals campaign was over.

Dal Santo, however, was content with the way the Roos handled things, saying he wanted to know as soon as possible whether he would play on at the club in 2017.

"I was shown a lot of respect by (coach) Brad Scott coming to my house and talking through it the way he did, so I have no issue with that at all," Dal Santo said.

"I have got a really good relationship with Brad and was able to voice my thoughts with him and have a really good conversation. We both walked away comfortable with the work that we did together over that three-year period."

Dal Santo announced his retirement in November after the conclusion of the trade period and first delisted free agency window.

In 15 seasons (the first 12 with St Kilda), he played 322 games, including the 2009 and 2010 Grand Finals. He also finished runner-up in the 2011 Brownlow Medal and was named in the All Australian team three times (2005, 2009, 2011).

A remarkably consistent and durable player, Dal Santo's form remained strong to the end. In 2016, he missed just one game (through illness) and averaged more possessions than any other Kangaroo (24.8 a game) and was fifth at the club in tackles.

Collingwood expressed some interest in recruiting Dal Santo for 2017 after his axing from North, but the former Saint realised his career was over soon after North's 62-point loss to Adelaide in last year's first elimination final.

"Walking off the ground after we lost that final in Adelaide, knowing that it was probably and realistically the last time I was going to play footy at AFL level, it was in some ways a nice closure to know that my wife, my son and my family were all there. It was a nice way to say goodbye and say, 'That's the end'," he said.

"I was conscious that that was probably the last time. I was still open to the idea of playing on, as I felt like my body and my mind could have gone on for at least 12 more months and I felt like I had solid football left in me.

"But I remember (Adelaide midfielder) Rory Sloane shaking my hand and saying a couple of really nice words and I thought, 'OK, that's probably it for me'."

Dal Santo will work as a radio commentator for SEN and Crocmedia this season and as an assistant coach for the AFL Academy.

He flew out for the AFL Academy's two-week training camp in the United States on Monday.