Big Kangaroo Callum Coleman-Jones will make his playing return in Sunday's Round 9 VFL match against Collingwood at Victoria Park.

Coleman-Jones, who has not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon on Good Friday in 2024, is one of three inclusions for North Melbourne.

He is expected to play limited minutes against the Magpies as the Kangaroos manage his return. 

The Roos are also bolstered by young forward Zane Duursma, and experienced midfielder Bailey Scott, who return to the reserves side after having been omitted from this weekend's AFL team.

Zac Fisher comes out of the side, having been called up for AFL duty in Saturday night's Sir Doug Nicholls Round blockbuster against the Magpies.

Young tall Matt Whitlock misses under mandatory concussion protocols after suffering a knock in last weekend's nailbiting win against Richmond at Arden St Oval.

VFL-listed player James Tarrant is the final omission.

The sixth-placed Roos can expect a fierce contest at Collingwood's historic home, against a team sitting one rung above them on the VFL ladder.

How to follow the game

You can live stream the match free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App. Head here on gameday to keep up with the score and our best performers.

Round 9

Sunday, May 25
Collingwood v North Melbourne at Victoria Park, 2.05pm AEST

North Melbourne has surged into the top four on the VFL ladder after trouncing Collingwood by 72 points on the back of five Cooper Harvey goals.

The Roos were relentless all day, holding the Magpies to only just one goal across the first three quarters on their way to a 19.9 (123) to 7.9 (51) victory at Victoria Park.

MAGPIES v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

The hosts were resilient in the first term, trailing by only seven points at quarter-time, but the visitors were able to respond with seven goals in the second term and from then onwards it was all North Melbourne.

Player watch

Will Phillips built on his case for a potential AFL return by dominating in the middle with 35 disposals and eight clearances.

The classy midfielder worked tirelessly at every stoppage and went at 82 per cent disposal efficiency which was another key standout from on the stat sheet.

Cooper Harvey (19 disposals, 11 marks) was the most dangerous of the forwards, kicking a game-high five goals. The No.37 was outstanding with his marking and managed to capitalise on his opportunities. 

He was well supported by Brayden George and Brynn Teakle, who both kicked three majors of their own.

Luke Urquhart was also lively, working hard mostly in the front-half to add to his side's dominance on the scoreboard. The draftee picked up 22 disposals and six score involvements, and popped up with a crumb-and-snap goal early in the second quarter.

Taylor Goad's dominance set the tone in the middle as he played his best game for the year. The young tall racked up 27 hit outs and eight clearances, with his ball use a standout.

Robert Hansen jnr (18 disposals, five score involvements) was instrumental in transition, using his speed to open the game up. He was also able to use his explosiveness at the centre bounce, which saw him find plenty of the football and drift forward to kick a major.

It was a successful return for Callum Coleman-Jones, picking up 14 touches in his first game in over a year. The 25-year-old worked hard and presented well high up the ground, and used his smarts to capitalise on a Collingwood mistake to kick a major in his return.

Oliver Lowe ran hard along the wing all afternoon and snuck forward to kick three goals.

Skipper Darcy Macpherson had another good performance off half-back, using his pace and experience to pick up 24 disposals.

Next up

North Melbourne will have a bye in Round 10 before travelling to take on reigning premiers Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval. The first bounce is scheduled for 1.05pm AEST on Saturday, June 7.

COLLINGWOOD                1.1    1.4    1.5    7.9   (51)
NORTH MELBOURNE       2.2    9.4    15.8    19.9   (123)

GOALS
Collingwood: Kennedy 2, Steene 2, Mason, Glover, Browne
North Melbourne: Harvey 5, Teakle 3, George 3, Lowe 3, Scott, Urquhart, Stevens, Coleman-Jones, Hansen jnr