North midfielder Kyron Hayden has had successful surgery to repair his ruptured achilles.
The 20-year-old was on debut against Collingwood when he attempted to accelerate late in the second quarter, while tagging Magpies' captain Scott Pendlebury.
"It was at that point his left achilles completely ruptured," North GM football, Cameron Joyce explained.
"He had played a great half of football and looked very comfortable out there, so the injury was devastating for him."
Hayden will spend a lengthy period in rehabilitation following the procedure at Epworth on Tuesday, under specialist Andrew Oppy.
"At this stage he'll be looking at spending around six week on crutches, and in a moon-boot," Joyce said.
"He will require a decent stint on the sidelines, but we have the best people looking after him to ensure a successful return to football.
"The future in the AFL is very bright for Kyron and he'll have the full support of everyone at the club as he begins his recovery."
