North Melbourne onballer George Wardlaw (hamstring) will face a test this week as he pushes for a playing return, while the Kangaroos expect key defender Griffin Logue to be available for selection for Saturday night's home game against the Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium.
Wardlaw, who is yet to play a competitive game this season after injuring his hamstring in late January, is a chance of returning via the VFL on Sunday.
“George has now banked three strong weeks of football conditioning after passing all of his strength markers,” head of performance Kevin White said.
“The plan for George this week will be to fully train on Thursday, and if he ticks off his speed and training exposure comfortably, he’ll put his hand up to return through the VFL."
Logue should be back in the selection frame when the Roos pick their AFL team on Thursday, after overcoming the hamstring strain he suffered in Round 1 against the Western Bulldogs.
“A conservative decision was made with ‘Griff’ last week to ensure he had two strong weeks of football loading under his belt, safeguarding him for a successful return to play,” White said.
Ruckman Tristan Xerri is expected to be available for Saturday night’s clash with Sydney, after experiencing hamstring tightness during Sunday's hard-fought loss against Adelaide.
“Pleasingly, Tristan returned to the field and finished the game without apprehension,” White said.
“He went for precautionary scans yesterday which were reassuring, and he’ll look to recover well across the short turnaround to be ready to play."
Zac Fisher and Eddie Ford will both be unavailable for selection this week after sustaining a concussion and hamstring issue respectively during North Melbourne’s VFL match against Box Hill on Saturday afternoon.
“Zac has responded well over the past few days,” White said.
“He’ll go through the AFL standardised protocols over the next period to ensure he is fit and healthy to return to training in the latter stages of these guidelines.
“Eddie felt his hamstring on a high-intensity chase at the end of the second quarter. Scans on Sunday showed a really low-level strain that will see him miss this week’s game."
A clearer timeframe has been provided for Josh Goater as the young defender pushes for a return from his hamstring injury.
"Josh is still working towards hitting his hamstring strength markers that will then enable him to push his speed and football intensity on ground," White said.
“Once these are achieved, he’ll progress his on-field work to integrate with the main group."
Brayden George (knee) is in a “great spot with his physical presentation” and has testing assessments in two weeks to determine if he is ready to enter his 'return to play' program.
Callum Coleman-Jones's rehab from an Achilles injury is also progressing well, as he increases his training intensity and continues to build a strong base for eventual playing return.
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