AFL 2025: North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson makes three unforced changes for Sydney
The Kangaroos will face an in-form Sydney without Luke McDonald, Tristan Xerri and Nick Larkey on Saturday.
McDonald has been ruled out for the remainder of the year after being rushed into shoulder surgery this week.
He sustained the injury in the Roos' poor loss to Hawthorn and failed to recover well enough to return this year.
'When we went and saw the specialist they said, 'Let's leave it for a couple of weeks and see if he can regain some strength in it', knowing full well he was probably going to require surgery at the end of the year,' North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said.
'But it just hasn't improved enough in terms of the strength or function to get him to the line, so he's gone in for surgery today (Thursday).
'He'll be out for the rest of the season. He's still contracted, so he'll repair the shoulder and get going again.'
The Kangaroos are taking a cautious approach with spearhead Larkey after scans revealed a 'slight' PCL tear.
'He got that knock against Western Bulldogs, we thought it was ever so slight, but when we got it scanned, it revealed the slightest of damage,' Clarkson said.
'We're just waiting for that to repair, really, not wanting to take too much of a risk with him.
'As we saw today, he couldn't do the required training we needed him to do to make him available this week, so maybe a week-by-week thing.'
Xerri, meanwhile, leaves the biggest hole against Sydney and Brodie Grundy after his suspension was upheld.
The All-Australian fancy was issued a three-week ban for his high contact on Melbourne midfielder Tom Sparrow.
'It's a pretty significant challenge, especially this week because (Brodie) Grundy has been in such terrific form for the Swans,' Clarkson said.
'(Grundy) has been a key part in their turnaround in form in the last six to eight weeks in particular.
'It's not ideal we lose 'Big X', but it presents an opportunity for someone else to step up in that role. We'll decide that this afternoon.'
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