NORTH Melbourne is confident LARS surgery is the best option to extend ruckman/forward Hamish McIntosh's career, Kangaroos coach Brad Scott says.

McIntosh was scheduled to have Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System (LARS) surgery on Thursday to replace the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his right knee that was removed in 2008 after a ruck collision.

McIntosh, who turns 28 in September, played excellent 2009 and 2010 seasons without his PCL, but aggravated his right knee when he collided with Western Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave in round seven and could manage just one VFL game on his return.

Scott acknowledged there were critics of LARS, which replaces a knee ligament with synthetic fibre instead of a traditional muscle graft, particularly in relation to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions.

Sydney Swans defender Nick Malceski and Port Adelaide midfielder David Rodan are two players who have been forced to have second LARS ACL reconstructions after their initial synthetic ligament ruptured.

But Scott said North had done an "enormous amount" of research before deciding to book McIntosh in for LARS surgery.

"Look the ACL LARS has people who say it's the best method [and] others who would disagree. With the PCL we feel that it's the best course of action and the quickest course of action to get (McIntosh) back," Scott said at Aegis Park on Thursday.
 
"But also it's the method that's going to give him the best chance to have a long career ahead of him."

Scott admitted there had been some temptation to nurse McIntosh through the season given North will now be left with just one experienced AFL ruckman, Todd Goldstein. But he said the club had decided McIntosh's knee had to be stabilised so he could return to full fitness as quickly as possible.

"He'll be able to train at a 100 per cent by the time we go to Utah in the pre-season. He'll be in good shape," Scott said.

Asked who would replace Goldstein if he went down with injury before the end of the season, Scott said second-year ruckman Ben Mabon, who is yet to make his AFL debut, and in-form utility Cameron Pedersen could come in from the VFL. He also said star forward Drew Petrie could spend more time in the ruck if required.

Scott said McIntosh was understandably disappointed after a horror run of injury that had also seen him play just one game in 2011 after undergoing surgery on both his achilles tendons.

"But he's got great mates here at the club who have supported him really well and I'm sure that once he gets out of his surgery and gets back on his feet he'll come back and support the boys really well," Scott said.

Meanwhile, Scott said seventh-placed North was looking forward to Sunday's season-shaping clash with eighth-placed Essendon, who it leads on the ladder by 1.1 percentage points.

"We've been seeking this sort of pressure and this sort of exposure for a while, so we're going to look forward to testing ourselves against genuinely good opposition," Scott said.

Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick