Young midfielder Will Phillips will return to North Melbourne's line-up for Sunday's game against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

Phillips, who will play his first senior game since Round 16, is one of three inclusions alongside veteran ruck Todd Goldstein and forward Charlie Lazzaro.

Goldstein will play his 310th game for the Kangaroos after a dominant VFL performance against Box Hill last weekend in which the 35-year-old racked up 28 disposals, 11 marks and 35 hitouts.

Lazzaro has earned his fourth AFL start this season, having last been named for Round 17's trip to Geelong.

Making way this week are injured trio Cam Zurhaar (ankle), George Wardlaw (hamstring) and Callum Coleman-Jones (concussion), while former skipper Jack Ziebell has been omitted.

Ziebell, Hugh Greenwood, Daniel Howe and mid-season draftee Robert Hansen jnr are this week's emergencies, one of whom will be named as the tactical substitute ahead of the opening bounce.