Jack Ziebell said re-injuring his hamstring was a "bitter pill to swallow", especially given his cautious rehabilitation. 

The North Melbourne skipper had been sidelined for two weeks, before making his return against Richmond. 

He left the field in the first quarter, and was unable to return. 

“It’s a little bit different as well, so probably wasn’t the exact same injury,” Ziebell told Channel 9.

“We ticked every box to get up for the week before and we made sure that we had a conscious approach and a careful approach, because we've got some back-to-back games and we gave it an extra week.

“I did the training and some extra training, some top-end speed and everything and it felt really good, so I guess that’s why it’s a bitter pill to swallow.”

The extent of Ziebell’s re-injured hamstring is still to be determined, with the club to provides updates as they become available.