North Melbourne are hopeful midfielder Jed Anderson returns to the club in the coming weeks, with the next month critical for the unvaccinated Roo's playing future.
Anderson is residing in the Northern Territory and away from Arden Street after opting not to receive his second vaccination, having suffered a bad reaction to his first COVID-19 jab.
Victoria-based players were required to have received both vaccinations by November 26, with those unable to follow the AFL's mandate not permitted to train or play with their respective clubs.
Anderson's reported hesitancy has left his career in the balance, with North Melbourne 44 days away from their season opener against Hawthorn.
The club and Anderson are in "constant dialogue", however a timeline on his return is unclear at this stage.
"There’s obviously timeframes that we’ve got to work towards," Kangaroos senior coach David Noble told AFL.com.au.
"I know (general manager of football performance) Dan McPherson and (general manager of football talent) Brady Rawlings are in constant dialogue with Jed. We’re hopeful that things settle in the next couple of weeks for him and he’s able to come back to training.
"We’re still hopeful that he’ll be back, we just probably don’t know that timeframe. We know that February or March period is the time where we’ve got to see something. Fingers crossed, he gets back."
While support for Anderson is an undisputed priority, the Kangaroos have begun weighing up their options from a business perspective, flagging certain deadlines the 28-year-old will need to meet as Round 1 nears.
"We do [have to give Anderson a deadline for a decision], that’s the business side of things, but the personal side is to make sure the support is there," Noble said.
"I’ve said to him all the way along that we’ll be there to support you as an individual with what you need to do. There’s the other stream, that 'Frosty' (McPherson) needs to have that conversation and say there are some dates you’ve got to work towards.
"We’re trying to support him as best as we can from that side of things. We’ll work to hopefully get a good outcome for both people."
The Kangaroos are able to place Anderson on the inactive list should he remain unvaccinated, opening a list spot for a potential Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period addition.
The Kangaroos are set to hand their only open list spot to development coach and former Crows forward Tom Lynch, who will mostly play in the Roos' reserves and could be called on should their squad be deeply compromised.
North Melbourne have also invited ex-Demons defender Marty Hore to train with the club this pre-season, who could gain a place on Noble's list should Anderson or another player be moved to the inactive list.
A call will need to be made prior to the expiry of the SSP's window on March 9, while clubs can keep list spots free for the Mid-Season Rookie Draft on June 1.
Anderson has played 75 games since arriving at North Melbourne from Hawthorn, where he made his debut and played a total of 10 games between 2013-2015.
