North Melbourne's Blake Thredgold has been placed on North Melbourne's inactive list, opening up a list spot for the club to fill ahead of next week's Mid-Season Draft.
The 18-year-old defender underwent pre-season surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury sustained in February, and as such, has not been seen at VFL or AFL level since his drafting, late last year.
Kangaroos general manager of football, Todd Viney, made no bones of the club's commitment to guiding their recruit through his recovery.
“Blake has been a highly valued member of our club since arriving late last year, and our main focus is having him complete his rehab seamlessly,” Viney said.
“We see Blake as an important part of our future, and he's put in a heap of work behind the scenes already, and by placing him on the inactive list, we can take any immediate pressure off his timelines.
"Having a pick gives us flexibility in next week's draft, but we'll continue our discussions over the coming days to determine whether using the selection is the right move for our list at this current time.”
Ahead of last year's draft, Zero Hanger's resident draft guru, Jonty Ralphsmith, listed athleticism, intercepting and courage as the defender's strengths - three traits North's backline will be looking to inject as soon as is feasible.
