North Melbourne has confirmed that young midfielder George Wardlaw won't feature against Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
Wardlaw copped a "savage corkie" in the loss to Port Adelaide, and given the five-day turnaround, coach Alastair Clarkson has opted not to risk the 20-year-old.
"George Wardlaw copped a pretty savage corkie and he's been unable to train," Clarkson said on Wednesday.
"He's close, but we don't think he's recovered to play to the level required tomorrow night. He won't play."
Wardlaw only recently returned from a serious hamstring injury from the pre-season, missing the first five rounds before taking on Carlton in the Good Friday clash.
The Kangaroos also confirmed they wouldn't be contesting Paul Curtis' three-match suspension upheld at the Tribunal on Tuesday.
"We were bitterly disappointed, believe we put up a really good case for Paul and believe he acted in the right manner," GM of Football Todd Viney said.
"Tackling is part of the game, and we believe he put into place things we teach our players around driving players forward. We're disappointed for Josh Sinn, too and wish him well.
"No (we won't put any more focus on tackling at training). That's why we appealed last night. We strongly believe it's a legitimate part of the game.
"We've spoken with legal counsel extensively, and we've been told we have zero chance (of overturning the ban)."
High-flying forward Finnbar Maley will make his debut on Thursday.
Taken with Pick 2 in the 2023 Rookie Draft, Maley was late to the sport, but has made leaps and bounds in his development for Clarkson to give him the nod.
The 21-year-old has kicked seven goals from four VFL matches, and will be the club's fourth debutant in 2025.
Will Phillips looks poised for an AFL recall after an impressive stretch of form in the VFL, including his 23-disposal, 10-tackle performance against Carlton two weeks ago.
Phillips could be a direct swap for Wardlaw, while Bailey Scott is also an option to bolster the midfield.
North Melbourne could regain Zac Fisher (hamstring) and Matt Whitlock (ankle) for the Bombers clash, with both deemed available for selection following minor injuries.
