North Melbourne midfielder George Wardlaw has reportedly left training early on Friday morning, leaving the young gun under an injury cloud ahead of his side’s pre-season fixtures.
Seven’s Theo Doropoulos reports that the 21-year-old left the club’s match simualtion prematurely with a hamstring complaint, though the initial hope is he has avoided serious damage.
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Given Wardlaw’s challenging history with injury during the early years of his AFL career, even a minor niggle looks likely to affect his availibility for Round 1.
Hamstring problems specifically have persisted since his draft year of 2022, before a high-grade hamstring tear in January last year sidelined him until Round 6 of the AFL season.
The inside bull also suffered his third concussion in 12 months last year, after a heavy collision against Hawthorn, prompting “extremely serious” worries about his long-term future.
Wardlaw has played 26 games at the top level since his debut season in 2023.
In more positive news for the club, Nine’s Braden Ingram reports that Sturt product Zac Becker will be given the chance to train at Arden Street ahead of the Monday, March 2 deadline for Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) players to be signed.
Becker, 22, was the Double Blues’ Best & Fairest runner-up last year as a defender in a premiership-winning season.
The Kangaroos currently have one list spot available, after an unfortunate ACL injury to Jackson Archer ruled the young defender out of the 2026 season.
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