Alastair Clarkson and Brad Scott have provided injury updates on North Melbourne's Jackson Archer and Essendon trio Jordan Ridley, Harrison Jones and Jade Gresham after all were unable to run out the game on Thursday night.
The Roos defender's injury happened halfway through the second term when Archer was dashing through the centre square after collecting a handball receive, before grimacing and quickly releasing the ball so he could grab at his hamstring.
Archer winced on the ground as trainers attended before he hobbled off the field with assistance, heading straight down the race to the club rooms to have his injury assessed.
Soon thereafter, North Melbourne activated their substitute Bailey Scott, with Archer to miss the rest of the night's action.
Jackson Archer has gone down to the rooms with a hamstring concern.#AFLDonsNorth pic.twitter.com/2KmQtir6ig
— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 1, 2025
To the moment of his injury, Archer had been quiet off halfback, collecting just two disposals for the game.
Alastair Clarkson said post-game he wasn't sure of the severity but knew he had to make the sub immediately following the medical update.
"I'm not too sure (on the severity), I haven't spoken to the docs," Clarkson said.
"And as a coach, as ruthless as it is, it's just like, 'Who's in, who's out? You can't participate in the game any longer, put your sub on. We'll worry about the injury later on'. As ruthless as that sounds.
"He's a ripper for us, Arch, hugely popular amongst his teammates and he'll be disappointed that he's hurt himself. He's a tough bugger too so he was limping pretty badly, so I dare say it's not a slight strain so he'll miss some weeks, I'm sure, but he'll be back better and we'll be a better side when he's coming back."
The injury continues an interrupted season for Archer, who was suspended for three matches in Round 1 for collecting Bulldog Luke Cleary high and concussing him in a loose ball contest.
Thursday's contest was just Archer's third for the season.
Meanwhile, Ridley came from the ground limping with five minutes remaining, and was ruled out by the halftime siren, with substitute Jye Menzie to be activated in the second half.
Jordan Ridley has gone down to the rooms.#AFLDonsNorth pic.twitter.com/yQnganKL5q
— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 1, 2025
On the stroke of three-quarter time, Harrison Jones was also taken out of the contest with a nasty suspected broken ankle. A stretcher had to be sent out for Jones while three-quarter-time huddles commenced, with the forward driven from the field.
Additionally, small forward Jade Gresham was also unable to run out the game with a groin concern.
Brad Scott said that Jones dislocated his ankle, but potential damage could be revealed through scans, while Ridley's hamstring injury is unrelated to previous soft tissue concerns.
"The Jones one, dislocated ankle is is the minimum... that's what it looks like," Scott said.
"Then he'll go to hospital and have further assessments and see what's if there's any further damage there.
"He's in a fair bit of pain. His ankle is pointing the wrong way, so that obviously doesn't sound good.
"Ridley hamstring, fresh injury unrelated to anything he's had prior. He's had hamstring injury before, but to the other leg.
"In his 100th game, we've talked about his rollercoaster career. He's he's been Crichton Medalist. Clearly, we rate him extremely highly, and he's had to overcome some adversity, and just as he looks like he's starting to get a free run, he gets another injury.
"But he's been through it before, and he'll be back, so hopefully that's not too serious.
"Gresham couldn't come back on like with a with a bit of adductor tightness. So we'll get that checked and get it assessed."
Jones Ridley's injury continues a string of soft tissue concerns for the run-and-gun backman, having already sustained a hamstring injury this year that ruled him out of a pre-season match. Jones' injury also continued a history of ankle injury, having had a reconstruction in 2023.
Scott said that he was "pleased" with the players' character for soldiering on despite the limited numbers on the bench and concerns about the health of multiple players.
"The thing that that I was really pleased with tonight was the resilience and the character of the group," Scott said.
"To North's credit they just they were never out of it. We could never really put them away. They just kept coming. We obviously had some adversity in the last quarter, and coaches are always loath to individualize.
"But we had some individuals that just stood up in big moments, players that we couldn't take off the ground."
The Bombers now move to 4-3 on the season while the Kangaroos slump to 1-7.
