Exciting North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis has been recalled to take on the GWS Giants at Blundstone Arena on Sunday.

Curtis returns after a solid performance in the VFL team's thrilling win over Essendon where he kicked two goals and laid seven tackles.

Prior to his omission, Curtis was the AFL substitute against Collingwood and had kicked Goal of the Year nominations in consecutive weeks.

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'We like how we're trending, but want four points too': Ratten

Interim senior coach Brett Ratten speaks to the media ahead of the Round 13 game against the GWS Giants.

Young midfielder Tom Powell has also retained his spot in the side after he came on as the tactical substitute last week.

They replace co-captain Jy Simpkin and utility Hugh Greenwood, who have both been ruled out due to the AFL's 12-day concussion protocols.

Aidan Corr, Ben Cunnington, Daniel Howe and Blake Drury are the emergencies, with one of them to be named as the tactical substitute an hour before the bounce.