North Melbourne midfielder George Wardlaw is set for an extended stint on the sidelines after suffering a right hamstring injury during a match simulation on Wednesday.
Wardlaw left the field early in the session with scans confirming a high-grade hamstring injury.
The 20-year-old will have a delayed start to season 2025, with an expected return to play of 10-12 weeks.
"This is obviously disappointing for George as he has been very diligent with his physical conditioning since he’s been at the club," general manager of football Todd Viney said.
"While there are a lot of variables at play with his recovery, George is an extremely diligent and professional athlete and we know he will be ticking every box in his rehabilitation to be back as soon as possible."
Wardlaw has played 26 AFL games across two seasons for the Kangaroos, including 18 in 2024.
Meanwhile, Wardlaw's teammate Brayden George is trending positively as he recovers from an ACL injury, and "has had some really pleasing results this week with some extensive testing completed", according to North Melbourne's head physiotherapist Brenton Egglestone.
The 21-year-old is set to ramp up his involvement in team training over the next few weeks to prepare himself for some match play in approximately one month.
Key defender Aidan Corr has received the green light from the surgeon following his finger surgery in December and will integrate into full training and match sim from next week, while Josh Goater is progressing well through the end stage of his Achilles rehab.
The fourth-year defender will slowly build up his load over the next few weeks with the aim of being ready for the start of the season.
Young tall Wil Dawson has been completing individual contact work to prepare his shoulder.
"He'll integrate into match sim training in the next couple of weeks," Egglestone said.
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