Andrew Swallow could make his long-awaited return from injury in the VFL for North Ballarat this Sunday.

He is set to make the trip down the highway to face Geelong at Simonds Stadium; his first match of any kind since rupturing his left Achilles tendon against Melbourne in round 18 last year.

The North skipper has made steady progress on the training track in recent weeks and now could be a chance to make his AFL return in Round 9, a week after North’s first bye of the season.

Majak Daw is another to make a return. He will play his first senior game in nearly a year this Friday night against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium.

Daw’s key forward's five-goal haul for Werribee in the VFL last Saturday played a large part in his recall.

Daw has had a slow start to 2014 after undergoing a posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction last August.

The AFL's first Sudanese-born player last played for North in round nine last year against Adelaide.

He was dropped after North's fadeout loss in that game and was unable to break back into the Roos' team for the rest of the year, as Aaron Black and Robbie Tarrant established themselves in attack alongside Drew Petrie.

Daw made his debut in round four last year and has played just six games for the Roos, but his freakish athleticism has made him a fan favourite.

His six-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs in round seven last year also underlined his potential.