Young gun George Wardlaw returns to the selection mix ahead of Thursday night’s clash with the Bulldogs, after missing North Melbourne’s past four matches due to a hamstring injury.

Wardlaw strained his hamstring against Port Adelaide back in Round 17 but was given the green light to make his comeback earlier this week.

"George has put in a stellar block of strength and conditioning to put himself in a strong position to attack the final three games of the season," North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said on Tuesday.

Another three-goal haul in the VFL has mid-season draftee Oliver Griffin right in the frame for an AFL debut.

Griffin has proved a potent forward in reserves coach Adam Marcon’s side, booting 19 goals from eight appearances since joining the club in May.

“He was really strong, competing in the air and on ground like he always does, as well as his pressure when the opposition have the ball. He’s put together a really strong block of form, and he’s been very impressive since joining the club,” Marcon said post-game v Box Hill.

In his return from a groin injury, Tom Powell was one of the VFL team’s top performers against Box Hill.

The 24-year-old onballer gathered 24 disposals and a game-high seven clearances at Box Hill City Oval.

Untried at senior level in 2026, Robert Hansen jnr was the most prolific AFL-listed Kangaroo against the Hawks, finishing with 26 touches, 12 rebounds and a goal to raise his hand for a late-season call-up.

Riley Hardeman notched 23 possessions and seven rebounds to push his case for a recall, having last appeared at senior level in Round 19.

Cooper Harvey was a travelling emergency for the AFL team’s trip to Launceston and could be brought in to face the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

Zac Fisher and Luke Urquhart had 21 and 18 disposals respectively against the Hawks in the reserves and could be considered.