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LINDSAY Thomas' family members had already flown to Melbourne by the time they found he would not be playing his 100th game at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
But North Melbourne's cheer squad received sufficient notification to make an alternative banner for the clash against the Brisbane Lions.
Thomas, who has struggled with goalkicking yips this season, was a late withdrawal from North's game with the Lions, leaving him stranded on 99 AFL games.
After North's 16-point win, coach Brad Scott said Thomas had been ruled out with general soreness, but "should be right" to play next round against Hawthorn.
"He's just a bit sore," Scott said.
"We're not going to take any risks with players that are not quite right. [It was] disappointing for Lindsay because it would have been his 100th."
Scott confirmed some of Thomas' family had flown to Melbourne from interstate expecting to see him reach his milestone.
"Yeah, that's the unfortunate reality. But things happen in footy unfortunately," Scott said.
More fortuitously, Scott said North had been able to alert its cheer squad that Thomas was in doubt before it made its match-day banner.
"We didn't want the embarrassment of a 100-game banner going up if he was not going to be out there so we eliminated that risk," Scott said.
Meanwhile, Scott said co-vice-captain Jack Ziebell had been subbed off early in the third quarter because of bruising.
But with Scott expecting Ziebell to be fit to play against Hawthorn on Saturday at Aurora Stadium he would not say where Ziebell was bruised.
"He was just very sore from last week," Scott said of Ziebell.
"[It was a] great effort to get up to play [against the Lions] but by halfway through the third quarter he looked so sore we just decided to sub him out.
"He won't tell anyone he's not right to go, we have to make that call for him.
"It's literally just bruising. Go back and have a look at the clips of him last week and you'll know why he's bruised."
VIDEOS: Match highlights | Levi Greenwood snap goal | Kieran Harper brilliance | Drew Petrie soccer goal | Petrie snap goal | Goldstein and Wright interviews | Petrie flies high | Brad Scott and Petrie press conference | Aaron Black highlights
Can't view the videos? Visit the NMFC YouTube Channel
Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_Nick
