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NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott has dismissed suggestions by his predecessor Dean Laidley that the club will trade ruckman Hamish McIntosh at the end of this season.

Laidley said on Wednesday night that Todd Goldstein's emergence as North's No.1 ruckman this season meant the Kangaroos would trade McIntosh.

"They will sell him and Brad Scott is doing a very good job of telling everyone he is a required player," Laidley told Fox Sports' AFL 360.

But Scott said McIntosh was contracted until the end of 2013 and was not going anywhere.

"This question has been asked before and answered. He's a contracted player," Scott said at Aegis Park on Thursday.

"We've contracted him until 2013. We don't take those decisions lightly, so we're not only talking about keeping him we're putting our money where our mouth is.

"So he's a North Melbourne player and he will be unless Hamish or his manager come to us and indicate otherwise."

McIntosh has not played a senior game this season following two achilles tendon surgeries, but has recently returned to play four games in the VFL. He missed Werribee's game last weekend with general soreness.  Scott said McIntosh had trained well on Thursday, so could play in the VFL this weekend, but he stressed the club would take a cautious approach.

Laidley also told AFL 360 that any clubs thinking of trading for McIntosh had to make sure his achilles tendons could still take the rigours of rucking in the AFL. "Buyer beware," he said.

Later on Wednesday night, McIntosh tweeted: "Happy at Roo land and the achilles feel as springy as ever."

Scott, himself, was incredulous that Laidley could comment on McIntosh's physical state, given he'd departed as North coach more than two years ago.

"It's beyond me how anyone outside this football club can know how Hamish's body is," Scott said.

"Have a look for yourself out there. He's training quite well. We're confident he'll be OK."

Scott also confirmed that small forward Lindsay Thomas would return to North's team this round following a three-week stint in the VFL to address chronic goalkicking inaccuracy. In North's first 15 games this year, Thomas kicked 17.29 and put 10 shots out of bounds on the full.

Thomas kicked 9.3 in North Ballarat's win over Williamstown last Saturday, a performance Scott described as the equal of any he had seen in the VFL.

"It was a complete game, not only (because of) the goals the he kicked, but the way he defended, the pressure that he put on," Scott said. "He really was the reason North Ballarat got over the line, I thought.

"We've been really happy with his attitude the last three weeks and we're convinced he's going to come back in and have a really good impact at senior level."

Scott was confident the hard work Thomas had put in on his goalkicking would pay off, but conceded "there's nothing like the pressure of an AFL game".

Scott said North would head into Sunday's clash against Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium rejuvenated, after its nine-day break following last Friday's loss to Carlton. Goldstein did not join in North's main training session on Thursday, but Scott said that was simply to freshen him up given his heavy load as No. 1 ruckman.

Scott said North was looking forward to heading to Tasmania this weekend as it prepared to play 'home' games at Hobart's Bellerive Oval from next season.

"We're really looking to embrace the people of Hobart. We think it's going to be a fantastic opportunity for them to see live footy and we think North Melbourne should be their club."

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