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After a hot spot in his foot was discovered, North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri will be out for four weeks.
The injury is a setback for the young 23-year-old, who has carved out the No. 1 ruck slot for the Kangaroos this season after a prospective move to St Kilda fell through due to a lack of agreement between the two clubs.
Xerri has started every game this season, forcing All-Australian ruckman Todd Goldstein to play in a new forward spot, while ex-Richmond tall Callum Coleman-Jones has struggled to obtain a game.
The injury, on the other hand, will allow Goldstein to reestablish himself as the club’s No. 1 ruckman, while the Kangaroos have said that they are eager to get Coleman-Jones into the senior team for Saturday night’s match against Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
Dan McPherson, the Kangaroos’ football manager, expressed relief at the club’s early discovery of the problem.
“It’s unfortunate timing for Tristan. He’s done a power of work to cement himself in the team,” McPherson stated.
“The positive here is the foot issue has been detected early and there is no sign of a fracture.”
North Melbourne is under pressure following a poor start to the season under second-year coach David Noble, with no visible indications of progress.
They struggled to overcome the COVID-depleted West Coast to get their single win in 2022, and they showed tenacity against Sydney, but their other games have been unimpressive. Three of their five defeats have been by a margin of at least ten goals.
After Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy and Carlton’s Marc Pittonet both suffered PCL injuries in centre bounce ruck competitions, Xerri becomes the third No.1 ruckman to miss time. Tim English of the Bulldogs has a hamstring injury and will miss the game.
