Debutant Wil Dawson is among six changes for North Melbourne ahead of Sunday's Sir Doug Nicholls Round match against Essendon at Marvel Stadium.

Dawson, 18, learned he would become Shinboner No.1064 during Friday's team selection meeting.

He becomes the Kangaroos' sixth AFL debutant this season, and the fourth from last year's AFL Draft, alongside Colby McKercher, Zane Duursma and Riley Hardeman.

Defender Miller Bergman and forward Curtis Taylor come into the side to play their first games of the season.

Duursma returns after kicking four goals at VFL level last weekend, while Toby Pink and Eddie Ford will play their fifth and seventh games for the season respectively.

As confirmed earlier on Friday, injuries forced two withdrawals from North Melbourne's provisional squad to face the Bombers.

Co-captain Jy Simpkin was withdrawn after failing to fully recover from a quad complaint that kept him out of last weekend's trip to Darwin to play the Gold Coast Suns.

Meanwhile an ankle injury has sidelined young defender Jackson Archer.

McKercher (foot), Hardeman, Will Phillips, Blake Drury and Hugh Greenwood are this week's other outs.

Pink, Ford, Dawson, Taylor and Charlie Lazzaro have been named on the interchange bench, with one of the five to be named substitute when the final line-up is confirmed an hour before Sunday's opening bounce. 

The Roos will wear their new 'Kangaroo Way' guernsey in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round clash, designed by Wemba Wemba, Gunditjmara, Ngadjonji and Taungurung artist Emma Bamblett.